Michigan Library Association

House Budget Proposes Flat State Aid to Libraries, Anticipates IMLS Funding Cuts

Yesterday, Michigan’s House of Representatives moved its education budget through subcommittee, appropriations and approved the plan on the House floor. Because funding for the Library of Michigan falls under the Department of Education, the House Republicans’ budget gives us our first glimpse at their plan for public library funding in the next fiscal year.

Approved in a party-line vote, the House budget bill, HB 4576, preserves state aid to libraries, providing the same $16.5 million allocation as was approved for the current fiscal year. This is in line with the Governor’s original budget proposal for next year as well. Both budgets propose flat state aid to libraries in the amount of $16.5 million.

MLA Hosts Roundtable With Attorney General Dana Nessel

On November 13, MLA brought together library leaders from across Michigan for an energizing roundtable with Attorney General Dana Nessel at the Kent District Library Service Center in Grand Rapids. More than just a policy discussion, the gathering underscored the shared commitment between Michigan’s library community and the Attorney General’s office to protect access to information and opportunity for Michiganders.

IMLS Update: Current Status and Next Steps

The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) has seen partial restoration of operations following a federal court ruling in Rhode Island v. Trump. On May 13, Judge John J. McConnell Jr. issued a preliminary injunction halting the administration’s efforts to dismantle IMLS under Executive Order 14238, which had terminated staff and grants in March. The court mandated the reinstatement of employees and grant programs, prompting the administration to report progress by May 20, including the return of staff members and the restoration of competitive grants in the 21 plaintiff states.

Remembering Randy Riley

The Michigan Library Association mourns the loss of Randy Riley and expresses our deepest sympathies to his family and friends, the Library of Michigan team, and the hundreds of colleagues and friends across Michigan’s library community.

As Michigan’s State Librarian since 2014, Randy’s passion, character, and commitment to the betterment of libraries were always evident in his work. Today, MLA honors the life and legacy of our friend and library champion, Randy.

Thursday, March 27, 2025 12:00 AM

Take Action to Save IMLS Today!

Yesterday, a bipartisan group of senators—Jack Reed, Kirsten Gillibrand, Susan Collins, and Lisa Murkowski—sent a letter to the new director of the IMLS. These senators are the co-authors of the last act that reauthorized IMLS. The letter urges Sonderling to continue IMLS’s mission to engage with and support libraries and museums, as Congress intended when it created the agency. Read the letter here.

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