House Budget Advances Without IMLS Line Item

On Tuesday, August 26, the Michigan House of Representatives approved a budget spending bill for fiscal year 2026. Despite MLA’s advocacy to House Appropriation Chairs over the summer, the chamber’s spending plan does not include a line item for the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS). If a final version of the state budget does not include an IMLS line item, it will preclude the Library of Michigan from spending federal funds already awarded and earmarked for funding popular statewide programs like the Michigan eLibrary (MeL) and the Michigan eLibrary Catalog (MeLCat).

Before a final spending bill is approved by both the House and Senate and signed by the Governor, we must ensure a line item is included for spending IMLS funding as allocated. Without the ability to spend allocated IMLS dollars, vital statewide programs like MeL and MeLCat are at serious risk. In 2024, MeLCat loaned over 1 million items between nearly 400 participating libraries in every corner of the state. Also in 2024, MeL – which includes 80+ databases that provide homework help, workforce skills, training, eBooks, and more – saw 19.2 million articles accessed by Michiganders. These programs provide a hard return on investment of $26.96 for every $1 spent. 

A statewide poll commissioned by MLA in June 2025 gives us a clear picture of public support for continued IMLS funding. 78% of respondents said that IMLS funding from the federal government should remain as part of the federal budget. While the Library of Michigan received notice of full federal funding through the state fiscal year 2026, Michigan’s legislature must first approve a budget that allows for the spending of those funds.