On March 15, 2025, the American Library Association (ALA) released a statement in response to the March 14 executive order that calls for the elimination of the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) along with several other federal agencies.
As the statement notes, “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. … As seedbeds of literacy and innovation, our nation’s 125,000 public, school, academic and special libraries deserve more, not less support. ”
ALA has also created an FAQ about the Executive Order Targeting IMLS which provides further information about the Museum and Library Services Act (MLSA) first enacted in 1996 which established the IMLS, as well as resources for library workers to take action in support of federal funding for libraries. ALA’s Show Up For Libraries initiative provides additional suggestions on steps anyone can take to advocate for library funding, including contacting your Senators and Representatives to urge Congress to overturn the executive order.
dh+lib Review
This post was produced through a cooperation between Amy Gay, Arianne Hartsell-Gundy, Rachel Hogan, Kelly Karst, and Trip Kirkpatrick (Editors-at-Large), Ruth Carpenter, Molly McGuire, Hillary Richardson, Christine Salek, and Rachel Starry (Editors for the week), Claudia Berger, Nickoal Eichmann-Kalwara, Linsey Ford, and Pamella Lach (dh+lib Review Editors), and Tom Lee (Technical Editor).