Board of Trustees Statement on IMLS funding
The Maplewood Public Library Board of Trustees would like to voice their opposition to the Executive Order signed by President Trump on March 14, 2025. This order eliminates the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), the federal agency responsible for distributing congressionally appropriated funds to state libraries.
The vision of the Maplewood Public Library is to become the most welcoming library in the St. Louis area. We have been making strides towards this goal, but without full funding, we will struggle to keep up the progress we have made. In the past, IMLS funds have been used for Summer Reading programs and updated technology; IMLS funds subsidize our courier service and Missouri Evergreen. All of these things help us serve our community, and these are the services being threatened. Just one month after the executive order was signed, we are already encountering unforeseen expenses we have not budgeted for. For instance, the costs for migrating to Missouri Evergreen were covered by IMLS grant funds that are now not being released, so all MLC libraries will be forced to cover the costs.
IMLS funding is crucial for resource sharing, technology upgrades, staff training, and various library programs. While the loss of IMLS funding would negatively impact these services at Maplewood Public Library, it would be devastating to many rural libraries who rely more heavily on these funds, forcing some to even shut down. We ask that Missouri lawmakers and library lovers across the country advocate for continued IMLS funding to ensure libraries remain havens for intellectual freedom, socialization, and learning.
The Maplewood Public Library Board of Trustees stands with Missouri libraries and museums, as well as those across the country. If you wish to stand with us in supporting our libraries, see below for steps you can take.
- Learn more by reading the full executive order, finding out what it means for Maplewood Public Library, and following updates from the American Library Association.
- Send a message to your legislators urging them to overturn the executive order and protect IMLS funding.
- Call your legislators urging them to overturn the executive order and protect IMLS funding.
- Get the word out! Share information on social media, write a letter to the editor in your local newspaper, and talk about the issue with friends and family. You can even share a story for ALA’s story collection about the impact of federal funding on your community.
We appreciate any way you can support our libraries!
