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Library director warns Belfast of threatened federal library services after IMLS order
Summary
Steve Norman, director of the Belfast Free Library, told the council that an executive order ordering reductions at the Institute of Museum and Library Services has furloughed staff and could interrupt services such as ebook access, interlibrary loan delivery and digital databases used by Belfast patrons.
Steve Norman, director of the Belfast Free Library, updated the council on April 1 and warned that recent federal actions threaten services that support local libraries.
Norman said the library’s new heat‑pump HVAC installation is nearly complete and thanked the city for supporting that upgrade. He then described an executive order issued March 14 that, he said, directed the dismantling of the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) "to the maximum extent of the law," required staff reductions and ordered the Office of Management and Budget to limit IMLS budget requests to funds needed to shut down the agency. "Last Friday afternoon the employees of IMLS were put on indefinite furlough," Norman said.
Norman listed specific services that could be at risk without federal support: ebook and downloadable audiobook access through CloudLibrary; ancestry.com access; free books‑by‑mail for blind or visually impaired patrons; state library support for Maine InfoNet and the van delivery service that underpins interlibrary loan; and E‑Rate support that helps maintain fast internet connections for libraries and schools.
He noted IMLS funding is a very small share of the federal budget but said it enables a range of services valued by residents. Norman urged that congressional action would be required to ensure already‑appropriated funds reach libraries.
Councilors thanked Norman for the update and for work on the HVAC project. No formal council action was taken on the IMLS issue at the meeting; Norman recommended the council and community continue to monitor congressional steps and support library outreach and communications.
What’s next: Norman said the library’s local funding remains intact and that he had shared program recordings and information with the city communications director to help publicize services and local events.
