The Cranston Public Library director told the Finance Committee on April 12 that recent federal actions could reduce grant funding that supports services provided through the state library agency, with ripple effects for Cranston patrons.

"An executive order was signed on March 14, to eliminate the Institute of Museum and Federal Service Federal Services," Mr. Gonsha told the committee, explaining that while Cranston does not receive direct IMLS grants, Rhode Island's state library agency (OLIS) receives about 45% of its funding from IMLS. The director said the state allocation pays for services such as interlibrary loan delivery, summer reading program support and the Talking Books Plus program for people with visual impairment.

Library staff told the committee the proposed federal cuts have already produced some immediate results: a previously awarded summer reading program grant of about $2,600 was suspended pending review, and a federal grant for citizenship classes has been reduced by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services funding changes. The director said library trustees authorized use of some reserve funds as a short-term backstop for 2026 but emphasized the cuts would be difficult to sustain.

Committee members asked about the library's reserve balance, recent capital budgeting, the status of any Microsoft licensing changes that affect library software costs and the library's partnerships with schools and the Cranston Public Library Association. The director said state aid calculations account for multi-year spending and that Cranston remains the busiest public library system in Rhode Island.

No committee vote or spending decision was taken April 12; the discussion focused on contingency planning and funding priorities if federal or state aid declines.