“Your books are no longer available at my library…”
I don’t need to talk about importance of libraries. Everyone here knows how crucial they are. So many of us rely on libraries not just for their entertainment, but for a way to search for a job, for educating our children, and for interacting with our community. Libraries are essential to good citizenship. They keep us informed.
Also, not to mince words, but a lot of people are on a limited income. Libraries are their only option for reading.
A tiny local library doesn’t have the budget to offer a wide selection of books. Until now these libraries could get a federal grant, which would help them pay for things like Hoopla and Libby. Both of those services offer a massive book database and let you borrow books the local library otherwise wouldn’t be able to afford.
Everyone wins. Readers get books, little libraries can offer a wider selection, and everyone is happy.
Not so fast. We’ve been getting emails about our books suddenly not being available in the library systems. What actually happened was that the local libraries were dropping out of Hoopla and Libby services. They are anticipating having a lot less money next year and they are trying to preemptively save where they can.
Why this is happening:
Prior to 1996, the support for US museums and libraries was spread across several different institutions and was mostly under the jurisdiction of Department of Education. In 1996, these different institutions were unified into Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS).
IMLS is the largest and in many cases the only source of federal funding for libraries and museums. If you are any kind of library, botanical garden, zoo, archive, or museum, these are your people. IMLS allows libraries and museums to apply for grants, and it offers resources and support.
If you are a tiny library in a rural community, that’s how you pay for services like Hoopla and Libby. IMLS is your lifeline. The current administration is trying to eliminate it.
The total budget of IMLS is a drop in a bucket. For example, in 2022 it distributed 257.2 million in funding. It’s a ridiculously small amount considering how much money is being allocated everywhere else. The entire IMLS budget for 2026 would be less than .003% of the federal budget.
This isn’t about cost-cutting. This is about control. The less informed people are and the more ignorant they are, the easier it is to control and mislead them.
American Library Association has sued the administration to keep IMLS going, but it is very important that Congress includes IMLS in its budget for 2026. The institute is still operating while the courts are deciding what is going to happen, but if they don’t assign any money to it, then obviously it can’t function.
We need to keep IMLS funded if we want libraries to function.
If you would like to help, please go here.
American Library Association
It costs no money, just a little time. This page tells you how to call or email your representative and let them know you don’t want your local library to lose access to their federal funding.
I’m locking the comments on this post. If you’re getting this through the newsletter, please do not respond to it. We will not reply. Please don’t email us about it through the website. When we respond and write out our thoughts, we feel like we’ve accomplished something and it makes us less likely to take further action.
If you want to do something, go to the link above. This is where we need to focus our collective energy.
Thank you on behalf of libraries.
