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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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Written by Keeley Briggs
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IMLS Funding Again Targeted in Proposed Federal Budget
Federal support for libraries continues to center on the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), the only federal agency dedicated to supporting libraries and museums. In April 2026, the White House’s FY 2027 budget proposal again called for eliminating IMLS and other library-related programs, but this follows a familiar pattern: Congress has repeatedly rejected prior attempts to cut or dismantle IMLS, and in the FY 2026 budget process, lawmakers preserved and slightly increased federal library funding.
MLA will continue to monitor the federal budget process and share news, context, and ways advocates can stay engaged in support of federal funding for libraries as the process moves through Congress. |
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Written by Keeley Briggs
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Advocates Prepare to Bring Library Priorities to Lansing
Libraries make a difference every day, and on Tuesday, April 28, library advocates from across Michigan will be in Lansing to make sure lawmakers hear that message directly. More than 140 library workers and trustees will meet with legislators and staff to share how libraries strengthen education, workforce development, access to information, and community wellbeing—and to advocate for sustained and increased state investment in library services.
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Written by Dillon Geshel
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Note From Dillon
Summer has arrived in Michigan, and with it comes a familiar busy season for libraries across the state. I’ve enjoyed hearing about the launch of so many wonderful summer reading programs at your libraries, and it’s a meaningful reminder that the hard work of public libraries never stops. There is a sense when summer arrives that time slows down, but library professionals know it marks the beginning of some of the year’s most exciting and impactful work.
For MLA, the summer season offers an opportunity to reflect on our work during the first half of the year while looking ahead to what’s next. Whether we are advocating for library funding, supporting intellectual freedom, or preparing for upcoming events, our focus remains the same: making sure your libraries have the resources and support they need to serve your communities.
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Joint Statement on IMLS from Michigan Libraries, Museums, and Archives
On March 14, 2025, President Trump issued an Executive Order (EO) that adversely affects the only federal agency that provides resources to our nation’s libraries, museums, and archives. The EO “Continuing the Reduction of the Federal Bureaucracy” directs the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) to eliminate non-statutory programs and reduce its functions and personnel to the minimum required by law. For IMLS, this would mean a dramatic reduction in its scope and capacity to support our nation's cultural institutions. Libraries and museums across the country will feel the effects of these cuts, particularly in areas reliant on discretionary funding and special initiatives.
Michigan receives modest federal funding from IMLS, but our 397 public library systems, 87 academic libraries, nearly 3,000 school libraries, 650 museums, and hundreds of historical organizations pride themselves on using these resources efficiently and innovatively to deliver outstanding programs and services. The changes to IMLS ordered in the EO would be devastating to the cultural and literary landscape enjoyed by all Michigan residents.
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