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Library executive warns Institute for Museum and Library Services funding faces elimination; local impacts uncertain
Summary
Director Coyle told the Sacramento Public Library Authority that a recent executive order could remove federal IMLS grants that support library programs statewide; the authority expects some short-term continuity but long-term uncertainty for pass-through grants.
Sacramento Public Library Executive Team Director Coyle warned the Sacramento Public Library Authority on March 31 that a recent presidential executive order could lead to the elimination of federal grants administered by the Institute for Museum and Library Services, potentially disrupting programs that rely on pass-through funding to California libraries.
Coyle said the Institute for Museum and Library Services — an independent federal agency that awards grants to libraries and museums — has funded programs that the Sacramento Public Library and local cultural institutions have relied on, and that a proposed elimination of IMLS funding could remove significant pass-through grant dollars used for services such as bookmobiles and technology initiatives.
She told the board the State Library would likely be able to continue disbursing previously awarded funds through the end of the fiscal year, but that the longer-term picture was uncertain while the federal proposal and IMLS’s budget response were still developing. Coyle said the library has engaged the California Library Association and the American Library Association and is in contact with federal elected officials advocating to restore funding.
Multiple directors said they would support advocacy and outreach. Director Katie Maple and Director Vina Lefkowitz urged the executive team to keep the board informed and to tap the board for help — letters, calls or other outreach — if needed.
Coyle said the direct impact to Sacramento Public Library services would not be immediate because of how state-level pass-through grants are administered, but she cautioned that other states and smaller systems might feel faster and more severe effects.
The report was informational; no action was taken.
