From the Wisconsin Library Association (WLA):
On March 14, President Trump signed an Executive Order involving the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) and other federal agencies.
There are still unanswered questions about this order and its potential impact on federal funding for libraries nationally as well as here closer to home. While we wait for the IMLS to release its plan of compliance with the order, WLA leadership and its Library Development & Legislation (LD&L) Committee are communicating with our partners at the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction, leaders within the 15 public library systems around the state, other state library associations, and the American Library Association. We will share more information as it becomes available to us.
From the American Library Association (ALA):
This White House announcement orders that seven agencies, including the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), be eliminated to the maximum extent of the law and the agencies are ordered to reduce their services and personnel to the minimum amount required to perform the functions required by law.
The announcement also orders the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to reject any budget requests from IMLS (and the other six named agencies) other than funds needed to shut down the agency.
Learn more about what this means here: FAQ: Executive Order Targeting IMLS
WHAT CAN YOU DO?
1. Call Your Members of Congress.
Use this form to make a call in support of federal library funding. Enter your address in the form, and then click the call button to receive a phone call that connects you with your elected officials.
2. Email Your Members of Congress.
Use this form to email your members of Congress. Enter your address in the form, and then click the "Send email" button to contact your elected officials. Your message can be customized--tell your story!
3. Help spread the word on social media.
Follow this link for social media graphics and sample social posts to help get the word out!
4. Share a short video.
The Department of Public Instruction (DPI) is looking to humanize the impact of federal funding on our public libraries via short video "testimonials." These videos will be compiled and published on the DPI's social media. Record a short video on your cell phone, computer, or tablet. Ideally, the video would be about 30-45 seconds (up to 1 minute maximum) and would speak to the importance of federal funding as it relates to public libraries (e.g., literacy, job search resources, interlibrary loan, eBooks/eAudio materials). For example, you could answer such questions as:
- What does your public library mean to you?
- What service or library program do you rely on regularly and why?
- What if that service or library program went away? How would that impact your life?
- How has the public library changed your life?
Videos can be recorded either vertically or horizontally. After recording, use this Google Form to answer three questions and submit the video file.