A recent executive order targeting the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) threatens to disrupt funding, leaving communities, schools and libraries nationwide facing uncertain futures.
The executive order, signed by President Donald Trump on March 14, calls for the elimination of non-statutory functions in several federal agencies – including the IMLS. As a result, all the agency’s staff have been placed on administrative leave, and many grants to libraries and museums have been paused or canceled altogether.
The IMLS is the main federal agency that supports libraries and museums across the
U.S. It provides funding for things like technology, books, educational programs and access to reliable internet. It also supports staff training, preservation efforts, digitization projects and expanding public access to cultural and historical collections. These are all resources that are especially vital in low-income or rural areas with limited local funding.
“I think the value of IMLS is to help make our libraries stronger and more efficient,” said Dr. John Eye, Dean of University Libraries at USM. “To me, that investment helps us in the long run to provide our services. If there was ever a time we needed to learn about how to access reliable information, it’s in these modern times.”
The American Library Association and other national organizations have spoken out against the executive order, warning that the move could deepen educational inequality. Schools and libraries that rely on IMLS grants may be forced to scale back or cut services, while those with outside or private funding will continue to operate with fewer disruptions. This gap could grow even wider in rural towns and underserved school districts, where federal support is often the only source of funding.
For everyday people who use the local library to learn, study or just enjoy a quiet space, the idea of losing that support is unsettling.
“Libraries are important for communities for research purposes, learning, reading and access to information,” said Emily Bond, a frequent visitor of The Library of Hattiesburg, Petal and Forrest County. “Education is one of the foundational elements of communities for growth and opportunity.”
With the future of IMLS uncertain, library leaders and community members alike are left wondering what comes next. While some lawmakers have pushed back against the executive order, the long-term impact will depend on how quickly funding can be restored or whether the agency will be able to recover at all.
In the meantime, librarians and educators across the country continue doing what they’ve always done: serving their communities, one book, lesson or connection at a time.
