Vermont libraries warn federal funding uncertainty could force cuts to services

The Vermont Department of Libraries told the House Appropriations Committee on Feb. 11, 2025, that uncertainty and delays in federal grants, particularly from the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), could force the department to reconfigure services that depend heavily on federal funding.

Commissioner Catherine Delnao told the committee the department’s budget relies on a mix of state and federal funds, and that IMLS grants make up roughly one-third of the department’s budget. “A third of our budget is IMLS funding,” Delnao said.

The department provides statewide services used by Vermont residents and by all public, academic and school libraries in the state. Those services include access to the Vermont Online Library and other shared online resources, a statewide interlibrary loan system, a statewide courier that makes at least weekly stops to 141 participating libraries, the Palace Project app for ebooks and eaudiobooks, and the ABLE Library service that provides materials for Vermonters who are blind or have print disabilities.

Why it matters: Delnao told the committee that if federal funds are reduced or delayed, costs for services now provided at scale would shift to local libraries,…