On March 15, the American Library Association (ALA) released a statement in response to the White House’s March 14 executive order calling for the elimination of the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), the independent federal agency that supports libraries and museums in all 50 states and US territories through grants, research, and policy development.
ALA’s statement reads as follows:
Americans have loved and relied on public, school, and academic libraries for generations. By eliminating the only federal agency dedicated to funding library services, the Trump administration’s executive order is cutting off at the knees the most beloved and trusted of American institutions and the staff and services they offer:
- Early literacy development and grade-level reading programs
- Summer reading programs for kids
- High-speed internet access
- Employment assistance for job seekers
- Braille and talking books for people with visual impairments
- Homework and research resources for students and faculty
- Veterans’ telehealth spaces equipped with technology and staff support
- STEM programs, simulation equipment, and training for workforce development
- Small business support for budding entrepreneurs
To dismiss some 75 committed workers and mission of an agency that advances opportunity and learning is to dismiss the aspirations and everyday needs of millions of Americans. And those who will feel that loss most keenly live in rural communities.
As seedbeds of literacy and innovation, our nation’s 125,000 public, school, academic, and special libraries deserve more, not less support. Libraries of all types translate 0.003% of the federal budget into programs and services used in more than 1.2 billion in-person patron visits every year, and many more virtual visits.
ALA implores President Trump to reconsider this short-sighted decision. We encourage US congressmembers, senators, and decision makers at every level of government to visit the libraries that serve their constituents and urge the White House to spare the modest federal funding for America’s libraries. And we call on all Americans who value reading, learning, and enrichment to reach out to their elected leaders and Show Up for Our Libraries at library and school meetings, town halls, and everywhere decisions are made about libraries.
