DrWebLibrarians sound alarm as Trump admin takes aim at IMLS – Spectrum News (Austin, TX)
Ady Huertas re-shelves books at the San Diego Library’s Central Branch. (Spectrum News) – Editor’s Note: Video not available without sign-in :(.
POLITICS
Librarians sound alarm as Trump administration takes aim at agency supporting libraries and museums
By Cassie Semyon Washington, D.C., PUBLISHED 4:45 PM ET Oct. 13, 2025
Every day for the last nearly 30 years, you could find Ady Huertas between the stacks of books at the San Diego Public Library’s Central branch.
“My favorite part is empowering our community with information and really making sure that we’re giving access to those core resources,” said Huertas, who manages the Youth, Family, and Equity Services program.
She said she worries her position and programs offered by librarians across the country could drastically change if a directive from President Donald Trump is allowed to go into effect.
Back in March, the President signed an executive order to dismantle the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) as part of his effort to reduce the size and cost of the government. Created by Congress in 1996, IMLS was created to issue grants for libraries and museums nationwide.
But with the future of IMLS in jeopardy, libraries face a future of uncertainty.
What You Need To Know
- Back in March, the President signed an executive order to dismantle the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) as part of his effort to reduce the size and cost of the government
- The American Library Association has filed suit against Deputy Labor Secretary Keith Sonderling, who is the interim head of IMLS, to halt the dismantling of the agency
- In 2024, IMLS provided 600 grants totaling about $270 million to libraries across the country Librarians worry that taking away this federal lifeline could put further strain on community libraries, particularly in rural areas
“Our operational budget is just for that: To keep the doors open. But the IMLS budget really supports the programming and engagement that we do with the community and to support and even out that playing field in our communities,” said Huertas, who added that programs such as “Lunch at the Library” for underserved youth during the summer and adult literacy and workforce development programs could be put on the chopping block.
“All of those programs are going to probably be severely minimized if we do not receive this federal support,” she explained.
In 2024, IMLS provided 600 grants totaling about $270 million to libraries across the country. That year, the federal budget was nearly $6.8 trillion dollars.
“It will have a domino effect, because we didn’t build, particularly public libraries or school libraries, on the idea that they should be privately funded. They were a community resource to be shared, and we shared that wealth together, and we shared that opportunity and that impact together,” said Sam Helmick, the president of the American Library Association.
“Access to information means access to opportunity, and our founders knew this, which is why when they came up with this unique form of government, they recognized that an informed society would be necessary to continue and thrive, which is why they invested heavily in libraries,” Helmick explained.
A librarian from Iowa, Helmick said there is a misconception that funding for libraries simply goes towards books.
“In a small community in my state, a grant was provided to create an electronic chair down into the basement of the library because it also serves as its emergency weather shelter, and they didn’t have an elevator,” explained Helmick.
“When folks come in to find a job or find housing or find community, when folks come in and they recognize that they have access to academic libraries across the country and they can research their own health or their own project or their own entrepreneurial goals, and now they have diminished access to them, it’s really difficult to quantify the loss of that opportunity,” Helmick added.
The American Library Association has filed a lawsuit against deputy Labor Secretary Keith Sonderling, who is the interim head of IMLS, to halt the dismantling of the agency. That case is still ongoing, and Sonderling did not respond to multiple interview requests from Spectrum News.
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