Beginning in March 2025, various announcements and news articles have been made regarding risks to federal funding for libraries, and how this might affect us here in Thetford. Of particular interest is the status of the Institute of Museum and Library Services, which is the organization responsible for distributing congressionally-approved federal funds to libraries.
Here is a brief timeline of events this year, with links to further reading:
- March 14, 2025 – Executive Order “Continuing the Reduction of the Federal Bureaucracy” is issued
- March 15, 2025 – American Library Association statement released
- March 25, 2025 – Vermont Library Association statement released
- March 26, 2025 – Senators Jack Reed (RI), Kirsten Gillibrand (NY), Susan Collins (ME), and Lisa Murkowski (AK) sent a bipartisan letter of support for IMLS to the Acting Director of IMLS, Keith Sonderling. These four senators were the lead authors of the Museum and Library Services Act (MLSA) of 2018.
- March 31, 2025 – All IMLS staff placed on administrative leave
- April 4, 2025 – Attorney General Charity Clark sued the Trump administration
- May 8, 2025 – Vermont State Librarian Catherine Delneo announces partial funding received by Department of Libraries
- June 17, 2025 – Full funding received for Fiscal Year 2025
- July 15, 2025 – “Checking in about IMLS funding”, article by American Libraries Magazine
At this point, the status of IMLS funding for Fiscal Year 2026 is unknown.
Libraries throughout the country rely on IMLS funding in various ways. Generally, the funds help support the state’s Department of Libraries, and may fund core services like ebooks, interlibrary loan services, affordable internet service, and the online library system a library uses to manage its collection and loans.
Here in Thetford, IMLS funding supports the following:
- Online Resources – Many online resources are available outside of our local budget via state-level access, including online magazines, newspapers, scholarly articles, and other informational databases, such as Chilton Library automotive repair manuals; Free online classes; and test and career preparation.
- Reading materials for the blind or low-vision – Free talking books and braille, and a circulating collection of large print books are among the resources we receive from the state, all of which are far more expensive for individual libraries to purchase than regular texts.
- Department of Libraries consultants – We rely on experts at the state department to connect us with information and guidance we need to provide library services efficiently and within the bounds of state and federal laws, and training for librarians and our volunteer trustees.
- Grant opportunities – Latham and Peabody receive federal grants for our summer reading program and interlibrary loan courier service. Both of our libraries were also watching for upcoming capital grants to help with much-needed building repairs, the second round of which have not yet been announced.
We continue to watch for updates on the 2026 federal budget and will post any additional information we receive.