Advocates worry federal library cuts could have major impact in Michigan
Livingston County has just six public libraries, and advocates say they're concerned to hear about funding cuts that could strain well-loved resources.
Judy Daubenmier, who attended and helped organize a protest over the weekend, said libraries are essential for democracy.
"Democracy is supported by things like libraries; libraries are really one of the pillars of democracy," said Daubenmier, who also serves as the chair of the Livingston County Democrats.
Back in March, President Trump issued an executive order to dissolve the Institute of Museum and Library Services, "to the maximum extent of the law." The Institute of Museum and Library Services allocates federal funding for local public libraries.
"Every penny matters, so to say, 'Hey, come up with $1,000 and pay for these resources,' that might be their entire book budget for a year," said Randy Riley, the State Librarian of Michigan.
For the moment, the effort to gut the Institute of Museum and Library Services is on pause after a federal judge granted a restraining order in early May.
Holly Ward Lamb, who serves as the director of the Howell Carnegie District Library, says cuts like the ones Mr. Trump has proposed would have a major impact on our state's inter-library loan system.
"Libraries are all about resource sharing, whether it's very much at the community level and the idea of we have all these amazing things available; books, audios, e-materials, library of things, but it's all about sharing those resources with our community," Ward Lamb said.
Ward Lamb said in Livingston County, library users borrowed more than 19,000 books, e-readers, audio and other library materials in 2024 through the inter-library loan.
"That's 19,000 books, or audios or DVDs that would not be available to our patrons," she said.
Riley said things like public school field trips to local libraries could probably still function, at least for a while, depending on the cuts. But those losses would strain other programs.
"I don't know of any Michigan library that's sitting around saying, 'Hey, we have so much funding, we don't know what to do with it.' They're already stretched pretty thin, so to make up for a hole would be challenging," he said.
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