JACKSON, Wyo. — An Executive Order issued by the Trump administration on Friday, March 14, called for the elimination of the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS). According to the American Library Association (ALA), the IMLS is the nation’s only federal program that provides funds for libraries.
The ALA states that the Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA), which is administered by the IMLS, supports a range of library services and technology to every community in the U.S. According to the IMLS, Wyoming was allotted more than $1.2 million in funding for museum and library services in 2024.
Teton County Library (TCL) Director Kip Roberson told Buckrail that it will be another 12 months before Wyoming libraries realize the impacts of Trump’s Executive Order, but IMLS funding is critical to most libraries, especially small, rural and underfunded libraries across the country.
“Certainly any cuts in IMLS funding to Wyoming will have a direct impact on TCL,” Roberson said. “Without direct or indirect access to IMLS funding, libraries will be harmed.”
Roberson said that free and open access to information will become difficult, if not impossible in many communities. He said that the lack of IMLS funding could impact access to the library’s online catalog, which allows patrons to search for items in the local collection, as well as the collections of other Wyoming libraries.
In addition, community programming in literacy, career development, genealogy and more could be impacted, according to the TCL. Roberson also said that lack of funding could prohibit access to online research databases, eBooks and eAudiobooks, LinkedIn Learning and the ability to borrow items from other libraries.
Roberson added that IMLS funds are used to provide library staff across the state with training opportunities for a very low or no cost to the local libraries.
“The State Library has applied for IMLS grants in conjunction with other entities, and these projects would not be able to move forward,” Roberson said.
According to TCL, federal funding allowed library visitors to do the following in 2024:
- 138,608 ancestry library searches
- 212,631 Elton B. Stephens Company (EBSCO) database searches — EBSCO provides research databases, e-journals, magazine subscriptions, e-books and discovery services to libraries
- 12,212 book views via Tumblebooks
- 24,987 video views via LinkedIn Learning
- 169,657 searches in context databases
- 3,464 searches via CQ Researcher
On March 20, Keith E. Sonderling, the newly installed Acting Director of IMLS, issued a statement about the future of the IMLS.
“We will revitalize IMLS and restore focus on patriotism, ensuring we preserve our country’s core values, promote American exceptionalism and cultivate love of country in future generations,” Sonderling said.
In response, Roberson said that Sonderling’s statement should be concerning to all Americans because it “asserts a purpose that is the antithesis of a library’s purpose.”
“Libraries are the heart of most communities, providing free access to information including career and educational resources, a public forum for the free and open exchange of ideas, exposure to a broader world view,” Roberson said. “Libraries are truly democratic institutions and IMLS funding has helped strengthen the role of libraries in the lives of individuals and in their communities.”
The State Library’s five-year plan for using IMLS funds can be found here.
