Latest news with #MuseumandLibraryServicesAct
Yahoo
09-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Oklahoma libraries brace for funding delays as lawsuit over gutting federal agency filed
Oklahoma state library officials are preparing for funding delays and complications as the Trump Administration guts the country's library and museum agency's staff and directs it to eliminate funding to states. The Oklahoma Department of Libraries, along with similar agencies in other states across the country, was informed this week that all staff for the federal Institute of Library and Museum Services, commonly known as IMLS, were being placed on administrative leave. Some state libraries across the country were informed that federal grants approved last year are being terminated. The moves in Washington, D.C., mean library systems in Oklahoma and other states could be left scrambling to make up funding gaps to continue to reach the tens of millions of Americans they collectively serve every year. According to a grant termination letter received by some states, the grants violate an executive order President Donald Trump signed in March and are inconsistent with the administration's priorities for the IMLS. So far, Oklahoma's library agency has not received a termination letter for its Grants to States awards, though California's, Connecticut's and Washington's state librarians offices confirmed to USA TODAY that their grants had been ended six months early. Trump's executive order states that IMLS must be reduced to its statutory functions and eliminate nonstatutory components and functions to the maximum extent. More: Trump funding cuts could threaten public libraries, Native American cultural institutions In response to the cuts, the American Library Association is joining the largest museum and library workers union to challenge the Trump Administration's gutting of the IMLS in court. The world's biggest library association announced the lawsuit on Tuesday alongside the union, the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees. The IMLS works to improve libraries and offer access to national collection resources. Oklahoma agencies, including the Oklahoma Department of Libraries, received $4.4 million in federal funds through the IMLS during fiscal year 2024. Even if Oklahoma's IMLS grant funding is not terminated like other states, the state could face challenges to accessing the funds and reporting how they're spent if the federal library agency has no employees, according to Kaylee Reed, the public information officer for the Oklahoma Department of Libraries "We are working to remain informed, flexible, and collaborative with the administration to advocate for the continuation of this vital program and communicate the positive return on investment it brings to Oklahoma communities," Reed said. "We're also keeping our state legislative and executive branch leaders informed of the situation while communicating potential direct impacts that will be felt by Oklahomans if the Grants to States program were to end." Under the 2018 Museum and Library Services Act, IMLS is statutorily required to send funding to state libraries under the Grants to States Program. However, the act could expire in September if Congress doesn't take action. When Trump signed the executive order targeting IMLS on March 14, the U.S. Senate passed and the president signed a continuing resolution for fiscal year 2025, which provides funding for IMLS through September 2025. The new legal complaint argues that cutting programs at IMLS will violate federal law by eliminating programs Congress has provided funding for and directed IMLS to undertake. In a statement, American Library Association President Cindy Hohl said libraries play an important role in democracy, from preserving history to providing access to government information, advancing literacy and civic engagement and offering diverse perspectives. 'These values are worth defending," she said. "We will not allow extremists to threaten our democracy by eliminating programs at IMLS and harming the children and communities who rely on libraries and the services and opportunities they provide.' This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Oklahoma libraries brace for funding delays over federal Trump lawsuit
CBS News
01-04-2025
- Politics
- CBS News
Nearly all employees at federal agency supporting museums and libraries put on administrative leave
Nearly all employees at the Institute of Museum and Library Services, an agency created by Congress to support American museums and libraries, were put on administrative leave Monday, according to a Trump administration official. An IMLS employee and a union representing them said all employees were put on leave, but an administration official said 12 employees were not. The move still impacted 80% of IMLS' roughly 75-employee staff. Earlier this month, President Trump signed an executive order calling for the agency, as well as six other governmental entities, to be reduced to "the minimum presence." A few weeks ago, employees of the Department of Government Efficiency , or DOGE , were spotted in the IMLS building in Washington, D.C., to attend the swearing in of the new acting commissioner, Deputy Labor Secretary Keith Sonderling. AFGE Local 403, the union representing IMLS employees, said the notification to employees came after a "brief meeting between DOGE staff and IMLS leadership." It said museums and libraries would no longer be able to contact IMLS staff for updates about their funding. The message also said the status of previously awarded grants is unclear, but that funding is likely to be terminated. IMLS has approximately 75 employees and was created by Congress as an independent federal agency in 1996 through the Museum and Library Services Act to support American museums and libraries. Last year, the institute awarded $267 million in grants across the country, with a focus on helping to organize book drives and museum field trips in areas without existing access to libraries or museums. EveryLibrary, an organization supporting libraries across the country, called the move to put employees on leave "potentially devastating for institutions that depend on federal support to meet local needs." "This is not merely a bureaucratic activity; it is a crisis for the library, museum, and archive communities across the United States," the group said in a statement . An email to IMLS employees Monday from the agency's human resources director stated there was no "disciplinary purpose" being served in putting these employees on administrative leave. The notice said email accounts would be disabled and instructs employees to leave laptops and work cellphones in the office, according to text of the email shared with CBS News. One employee said Sonderling's arrival at the agency seemed to signal that employees would soon be put on administrative leave. They have not been told what will happen to the agency, though one possibility entails shrinking the staff footprint to 30 employees and moving them to the Labor Department, according to the Federal News Network . A White House official said the restructuring "is a necessary step" to fulfill Mr. Trump's executive order and would ensure "hard-earned tax dollars are not diverted to discriminatory DEI initiatives or divisive anti-American programming in our cultural institutions." "These changes will strengthen IMLS's ability to serve the American people with integrity and purpose," they added. Mr. Trump also signed an executive order this month that targeted funding for the Smithsonian Institution programs that haves what he characterizeds as "divisive, race-centered ideology." A bipartisan group of senators, including Republican Senators Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Susan Collins of Maine, have previously called for the agency to retain its federal funding and responsibilities under the Museum and Library Services Act of 2018, which Mr. Trump signed in his first term. "We write to remind the Administration of its obligation to faithfully execute the provisions of the law as authorized," the senators wrote in a letter to Sonderling. "IMLS grants enable libraries to develop services in every community throughout the nation, including people of diverse geographic, cultural, and socioeconomic backgrounds, individuals with disabilities, residents of rural and urban areas, Native Americans, military families, veterans, and caregivers."
CBS News
31-03-2025
- Business
- CBS News
All employees at federal agency supporting museums and libraries put on administrative leave
All employees at the Institute of Museum and Library Services, an agency created by Congress to support American museums and libraries, were put on administrative leave Monday, according to an IMLS employee and a union representing IMLS workers. Earlier this month, President Trump signed an executive order calling for the agency, as well as six other governmental entities, to be reduced to "the minimum presence." A few weeks ago, employees of the Department of Government Efficiency , or DOGE , were spotted in the IMLS building in Washington, D.C., to attend the swearing in of the new acting commissioner, Deputy Labor Secretary Keith Sonderling. AFGE Local 403, the union representing IMLS employees, said the notification to employees came after a "brief meeting between DOGE staff and IMLS leadership." It said museums and libraries would no longer be able to contact IMLS staff for updates about their funding. The message also said the status of previously awarded grants is unclear, but that funding is likely to be terminated. IMLS has approximately 75 employees and was created by Congress as an independent federal agency in 1996 through the Museum and Library Services Act to support American museums and libraries. Last year, the institute awarded $267 million in grants across the country, with a focus on helping to organize book drives and museum field trips in areas without existing access to libraries or museums. EveryLibrary, an organization supporting libraries across the country, called the move to put employees on leave "potentially devastating for institutions that depend on federal support to meet local needs." "This is not merely a bureaucratic activity; it is a crisis for the library, museum, and archive communities across the United States," the group said in a statement . An email to IMLS employees Monday from the agency's human resources director stated there was no "disciplinary purpose" being served in putting these employees on administrative leave. The notice said email accounts would be disabled and instructs employees to leave laptops and work cellphones in the office, according to text of the email shared with CBS News. One employee said Sonderling's arrival at the agency seemed to signal that employees would soon be put on administrative leave. They have not been told what will happen to the agency, though one possibility entails shrinking the staff footprint to 30 employees and moving them to the Labor Department, according to the Federal News Network . A White House official said the restructuring "is a necessary step" to fulfill Mr. Trump's executive order and would ensure "hard-earned tax dollars are not diverted to discriminatory DEI initiatives or divisive anti-American programming in our cultural institutions." "These changes will strengthen IMLS's ability to serve the American people with integrity and purpose," they added. Mr. Trump also signed an executive order this month that targeted funding for the Smithsonian Institution programs that haves what he characterizeds as "divisive, race-centered ideology." A bipartisan group of senators, including Republican Senators Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Susan Collins of Maine, have previously called for the agency to retain its federal funding and responsibilities under the Museum and Library Services Act of 2018, which Mr. Trump signed in his first term. "We write to remind the Administration of its obligation to faithfully execute the provisions of the law as authorized," the senators wrote in a letter to Sonderling. "IMLS grants enable libraries to develop services in every community throughout the nation, including people of diverse geographic, cultural, and socioeconomic backgrounds, individuals with disabilities, residents of rural and urban areas, Native Americans, military families, veterans, and caregivers."
Yahoo
20-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Trump administration seeks to starve libraries, museums of funding by shuttering this agency
On Friday, President Donald Trump issued an executive order that called for the dismantling of seven federal agencies "to the maximum extent consistent with applicable law." They ranged from the United States Agency for Global Media, which oversees Voice of America, to the Minority Business Development Agency. The Institute of Museum and Library Services also was on the list. Congress created the IMLS in 1996 through the Museum and Library Services Act. The law merged the Institute of Museum Services, which was established in 1976, with the Library Programs Office of the Department of Education. By combining these two departments, Congress sought to create an overarching agency that could more cohesively and strategically support American museums and libraries. The agency's mission, programs and funding have been reaffirmed through subsequent legislation, such as the Museum and Library Services Act of 2003. The Conversation U.S. interviewed Devon Akmon, who is the director of the MSU Museum at Michigan State University. He explained how the agency supports the nation's cultural institutions and local communities - and what could be lost if the agency were dissolved. What does the Institute of Museum and Library Services do? The agency provides financial support to a wide array of cultural and educational institutions, including art, science and history museums, zoos, aquariums, botanical gardens and historic sites. Libraries of all types -- public, academic, school and research -- also benefit from the agency's funding. Through grants, research and policy initiatives, the IMLS helps these institutions better serve their communities. In the 2019 fiscal year, for example, the IMLS awarded funds to libraries in Nebraska to support economic development in 30 rural communities. The project created rotating "innovation studios" in local libraries and provided residents with tools, instructional materials and programming to foster entrepreneurship and creativity. More recently, IMLS awarded a grant to the Hands On Children's Museum to develop a toolkit that museums across the country can use to support families with relatives who are in prison. For libraries, the IMLS might fund technology upgrades, such as virtual reality learning stations, AI-assisted research aids or digitization of rare books. The agency also pays for community programs that take place in libraries, from early childhood reading initiatives to workshops that help people land jobs. How has the Institute of Museum and Library Services supported your work at the MSU Museum? IMLS grants have played a vital role in enabling the MSU Museum to preserve, enhance and expand access to its collections. For example, we've used IMLS grants to develop high-quality audio aids for museum visitors who are blind or have poor vision. Recent funding has supported the digitization of over 2,000 vertebrate specimens, including rare and endangered species. Beyond financial support, the MSU Museum benefits from IMLS policy papers, professional training opportunities and resources developed through the National Leadership Grants for Museums program. Our staff members also contribute to national campaigns spearheaded by the IMLS, such as its Strategies for Countering Antisemitism & Hate initiative. Through these efforts, the IMLS, alongside the American Alliance of Museums, operate as cornerstones of learning and innovation within the museum field. Looking beyond Michigan State, what might be lost with its shuttering? The IMLS is more than a grantmaking entity -- it is the only federal agency dedicated to sustaining the entire museum and library ecosystem in the United States. Its funding has sustained museums, advanced digital preservation, expanded accessibility for low-income communities and fueled innovation in educational programming. In 2024 alone, the agency distributed $266.7 million through grants, research initiatives and policy development. For example, ExplorationWorks, a children's museum in Helena, Mont., received $151,946 in 2024 from the IMLS to expand its early childhood programs that serve low-income and rural families. Without this support, many institutions will struggle to hire and retain qualified staff, leading to fewer exhibitions, stalled research and reduced educational outreach. The consequences would be particularly severe for small museums and rural museums, which lack the fundraising capacity of larger urban institutions. They're often the only sources of cultural and historical education in their regions, and their loss would create cultural voids that cannot easily be filled. Trump's executive order dictated that the Institute of Museum and Library Services and other agencies be eliminated "to the maximum extent consistent with applicable law." What is the applicable law in this case? I'm not a lawyer. But my understanding is that the "applicable law" in this case primarily refers to the Museum and Library Services Act, which, as I noted earlier, was created in 1996 and has been reauthorized multiple times since then. Since the IMLS was created through this congressional legislation, it cannot simply be eliminated by an executive order. Congress would need to pass a law to repeal or defund it. Additionally, the Antideficiency Act prohibits federal agencies from operating without appropriated funding. If Congress were to defund the IMLS rather than repeal its authorizing statute, the agency would be forced to cease operations due to a lack of money, even if the legal framework for its existence remained intact. Is there anything else you'd like to add? Museums are among the most trusted institutions in the country. They are rare bipartisan beacons of credibility in an era of deep division. A 2021 American Alliance of Museums report found that 97% of Americans view museums as valuable educational assets, while 89% consider them trustworthy sources of information. A 2022 American Library Association survey revealed that 89% of voters and 92% of parents believe local public libraries have an important role to play in communities. More than just cultural repositories, museums and libraries bring together citizens and offer learning opportunities for everyday people. By presenting science and history through engaging, evidence-based storytelling, museums help bridge ideological divides and encourage informed discourse. People of all political stripes rely on libraries for free internet access, job searches and literacy programs. The Institute of Museum and Library Services is central to this work. The agency provides leadership, while funding programs and research that help museums and libraries expand their offerings to reach all Americans. Stripping this support would threaten the sustainability of these institutions and weaken their ability to serve as pillars of education, civic engagement and truth. I see it as a disinvestment in an informed, connected and resilient society. ">Devon Akmon is director of the MSU Museum and CoLab Studio at Michigan State University. This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article. The views and opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of the author.
Yahoo
20-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Trump administration seeks to starve libraries and museums of funding by shuttering this little-known agency
On March 14, 2025, the Trump administration issued an executive order that called for the dismantling of seven federal agencies 'to the maximum extent consistent with applicable law.' They ranged from the United States Agency for Global Media, which oversees Voice of America, to the Minority Business Development Agency. The Institute of Museum and Library Services was also on the list. Congress created the IMLS in 1996 through the Museum and Library Services Act. The law merged the Institute of Museum Services, which was established in 1976, with the Library Programs Office of the Department of Education. By combining these two departments, Congress sought to create an overarching agency that could more cohesively and strategically support American museums and libraries. The agency's mission, programs and funding have been reaffirmed through subsequent legislation, such as the Museum and Library Services Act of 2003. The Conversation U.S. interviewed Devon Akmon, who is the director of the MSU Museum at Michigan State University. He explained how the agency supports the nation's cultural institutions and local communities – and what could be lost if the agency were dissolved. What does the Institute of Museum and Library Services do? The agency provides financial support to a wide array of cultural and educational institutions, including art, science and history museums, zoos, aquariums, botanical gardens and historic sites. Libraries of all types – public, academic, school and research – also benefit from the agency's funding. Through grants, research and policy initiatives, the IMLS helps these institutions better serve their communities. In the 2019 fiscal year, for example, the IMLS awarded funds to libraries in Nebraska to support economic development in 30 rural communities. The project created rotating 'innovation studios' in local libraries and provided residents with tools, instructional materials and programming to foster entrepreneurship and creativity. More recently, IMLS awarded a grant to the Hands On Children's Museum to develop a toolkit that museums across the country can use to support families with relatives who are in prison. For libraries, the IMLS might fund technology upgrades, such as virtual reality learning stations, AI-assisted research aids or digitization of rare books. The agency also pays for community programs that take place in libraries, from early childhood reading initiatives to workshops that help people land jobs. How has the Institute of Museum and Library Services supported your work at the MSU Museum? IMLS grants have played a vital role in enabling the MSU Museum to preserve, enhance and expand access to its collections. For example, we've used IMLS grants to develop high-quality audio aids for museum visitors who are blind or have poor vision. Recent funding has supported the digitization of over 2,000 vertebrate specimens, including rare and endangered species. Beyond financial support, the MSU Museum benefits from IMLS policy papers, professional training opportunities and resources developed through the National Leadership Grants for Museums program. Our staff members also contribute to national campaigns spearheaded by the IMLS, such as its Strategies for Countering Antisemitism & Hate initiative. Through these efforts, the IMLS, alongside the American Alliance of Museums, operate as cornerstones of learning and innovation within the museum field. Looking beyond Michigan State, what might be lost with its shuttering? The IMLS is more than a grantmaking entity – it is the only federal agency dedicated to sustaining the entire museum and library ecosystem in the United States. Its funding has sustained museums, advanced digital preservation, expanded accessibility for low-income communities and fueled innovation in educational programming. In 2024 alone, the agency distributed US$266.7 million through grants, research initiatives and policy development. For example, ExplorationWorks, a children's museum in Helena, Montana, received $151,946 in 2024 from the IMLS to expand its early childhood programs that serve low-income and rural families. Without this support, many institutions will struggle to hire and retain qualified staff, leading to fewer exhibitions, stalled research and reduced educational outreach. The consequences would be particularly severe for small museums and rural museums, which lack the fundraising capacity of larger urban institutions. They're often the only sources of cultural and historical education in their regions, and their loss would create cultural voids that cannot easily be filled. Trump's executive order dictated that the Institute of Museum and Library Services and other agencies be eliminated 'to the maximum extent consistent with applicable law.' What is the applicable law in this case? I'm not a lawyer. But my understanding is that the 'applicable law' in this case primarily refers to the Museum and Library Services Act, which, as I noted earlier, was created in 1996 and has been reauthorized multiple times since then. Since the IMLS was created through this congressional legislation, it cannot simply be eliminated by an executive order. Congress would need to pass a law to repeal or defund it. Additionally, the Antideficiency Act prohibits federal agencies from operating without appropriated funding. If Congress were to defund the IMLS rather than repeal its authorizing statute, the agency would be forced to cease operations due to a lack of money, even if the legal framework for its existence remained intact. Is there anything else you'd like to add? Museums are among the most trusted institutions in the country. They are rare bipartisan beacons of credibility in an era of deep division. A 2021 American Alliance of Museums report found that 97% of Americans view museums as valuable educational assets, while 89% consider them trustworthy sources of information. A 2022 American Library Association survey revealed that 89% of voters and 92% of parents believe local public libraries have an important role to play in communities. More than just cultural repositories, museums and libraries bring together citizens and offer learning opportunities for everyday people. By presenting science and history through engaging, evidence-based storytelling, museums help bridge ideological divides and encourage informed discourse. People of all political stripes rely on libraries for free internet access, job searches and literacy programs. The Institute of Museum and Library Services is central to this work. The agency provides leadership, while funding programs and research that help museums and libraries expand their offerings to reach all Americans. Stripping this support would threaten the sustainability of these institutions and weaken their ability to serve as pillars of education, civic engagement and truth. I see it as a disinvestment in an informed, connected and resilient society. This article is republished from The Conversation, a nonprofit, independent news organization bringing you facts and trustworthy analysis to help you make sense of our complex world. It was written by: Devon Akmon, Michigan State University Read more: Gen Z and millennials have an unlikely love affair with their local libraries From ancient emperors to modern presidents, leaders have used libraries to cement their legacies Digitizing the vast 'dark data' in museum fossil collections Devon Akmon receives funding from the Institute of Museum and Library Services. He also serves as the vice chair and secretary of the board of directors for the American Alliance of Museums.
