Statement in support of the Institute of Museum and Library Services from Eric Robinson, director of Hedberg Public Library:
The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) is a critical funding source for libraries and museums in the United States. These funds allow libraries to develop new services and collections, advance education and programming efforts, better serve community industries in workforce development, enhance access to their available resources, and more. In an executive order signed on Friday, March 14th, President Trump ordered the IMLS and six other federal agencies to be “eliminated to the maximum extent consistent with applicable law.” On Monday, March 31st, all IMLS staff were placed on leave.
At Hedberg Public Library, we believe the IMLS should continue to be funded and staffed at the levels authorized by Congress. Our work with other libraries, cultural organizations, and social services has taught us that our library partners are a most efficient group, and embedded in their professional DNA is a mastery of cooperation and collaboration that allows them to do a lot with very little. Diminishing the IMLS will result in neither cost savings nor efficiencies.
Changes to IMLS funding could affect the services that we are able to provide our community. Our ability to get you timely materials from other libraries in Wisconsin and throughout the country could be reduced or removed without funding for WISCAT, our Interlibrary Loan System. Our access to Consumer Health Complete, Mango Language Learning, newspaper archives, Consumer Reports, and Chilton for auto repairs could go away without IMLS funding to our state and our library systems. Without IMLS grants, unique programs like Memory Cafés that help those affected by Alzheimer’s and their caregivers, may never get started to help those impacted in our community.
With your support, we can continue to provide cornerstone library services and have avenues for creative new services in the future through IMLS funding. If you would like to express your support of Hedberg Public Library, please visit ‘Show Up for Our Libraries’ to learn more. Thank you for your consideration and allowing us to serve our entire community.