March 14 - On March 14, 2025, President Trump issued an Executive Order calling for the elimination of the Institute of Museum and Library Services. The order seeks to eliminate the agency to the maximum extent allowable by law, including laying off staff and cutting programs. The Library of Michigan receives $4.8 million in IMLS funding each year, which is used in part to fund the Michigan eLibrary and our statewide interlibrary loan system.

March 20 - Less than a week later, on March 20, representatives from the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) visited IMLS offices and swore in a new acting director, Keith E. Sonderling. In a press release announcing his appointment, Sonderling said, “We will revitalize IMLS and restore focus on patriotism, ensuring we preserve our country’s core values, promote American exceptionalism and cultivate love of country in future generations.”

March 31 - By the end of the month, on March 31, all IMLS staff – around 70 employees - received notice that they had been placed on paid administrative leave for up to 90 days.

April 4 - On April 4, attorneys general from 21 states (including Michigan) sued the Trump administration to block its attempts to dismantle IMLS and six other federal agencies.

April 7 - Days later, on April 7, the American Library Association announced that it also filed a lawsuit challenging the Trump administration’s gutting of IMLS.

April 30 - By mid-April, MLA had solidified plans to focus our annual Advocacy Day event on raising awareness of the potential loss of IMLS and seek replacement funding through Michigan’s budget appropriation process. On April 30, nearly 150 librarians and library advocates traveled to Lansing to visit with their Representatives and Senators. In those meetings, we presented a single ask – fund the Library of Michigan’s interlibrary loan program and other statewide initiatives by increasing the state’s investment by $5 million.

May 1 - On May 1, a federal judge halted the elimination of IMLS in response to the lawsuit filed by 21 state attorneys general.

May 2 - On May 2, the Trump administration released its fiscal year 2026 discretionary budget, which proposed eliminating all funding for IMLS.

May 6 - On May 6, the same federal judge who halted the elimination of IMLS announced a preliminary injunction. The court ordered the Trump administration not to implement the March 14 executive order to eliminate IMLS, and to reverse all steps the agency previously took to implement the executive order.

May 20 - On May 20, the Trump Administration released a status report indicating all IMLS staff are returning to work.

June 6 - On June 6, in a ruling issued in ALA’s suit against the Trump Administration, a federal judge declined to block the Trump administration’s efforts to dismantle IMLS. Still, the preliminary injunction issued in a separate case on May 6 remains in effect, prohibiting the agency from shutting down while that case is pending.

Since the executive order was first announced on March 14, several national groups have led the charge with calls to action to protect IMLS funding. The American Library Association is calling on library supporters across the country to urge Congress to help reverse the executive order and protect federal funding for libraries. EveryLibrary is also promoting steps you can take to help save federal funding for libraries.

Since Michigan Library Advocacy Day in April, MLA has continued educating Michigan legislators on the importance of IMLS-funded programs like MeL and MeLCat, and the need for dedicated state funding for those programs if federal funding is erased. In mid-June, Michigan's Republican-controlled House of Representatives approved a fiscal year 2026 spending bill that did not include an expense line item for IMLS. While this action may point to the House's expectation that the federal government will not continue to provide funding to libraries, it will preclude the Library of Michigan from spending any funding that may still be awarded. Last week, MLA reached out to Michigan House appropriation chairs to request that the line item earmarked for IMLS funding remain in the FY26 state budget. If IMLS dollars are approved, we need to ensure that those dollars have a designated place to be deposited and can be spent on vital statewide library programs.