If you’re concerned about how federal funding cuts will affect Washington state’s libraries and the communities we serve, recent media stories shed light on what’s happening.
On Sunday, April 12, the Seattle Times published an op-ed by The Seattle Public Library’s Chief Librarian Tom Fay that detailed how the loss of the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) threatens essential library programs in Washington state.
Two weeks after Trump issued an executive order on March 14 to dismantle the IMLS, new acting director Keith Sonderling issued grant termination notices to state libraries in Washington and elsewhere, effective April 1. The cut represents up to a third of the Washington State Library’s budget.
“Unfortunately, this was not a cruel April Fools’ joke,” wrote Fay, “but a harsh new reality — the U.S. government is no longer investing in America’s libraries.” Although the majority of SPL’s funding is from local sources, dismantling the IMLS means a loss of support for “grant-based work that helps us do more for our city,” such as an IMLS-supported project to support teen mental health. And IMLS funding is essential for many other Washington libraries.
“Unfortunately, this was not a cruel April Fools’ joke, but a harsh new reality — the U.S. government is no longer investing in America’s libraries.”
He reminded readers that: “Libraries provide a place where everyone belongs, no strings attached or purchase required. Libraries are a place to explore your First Amendment rights, to read and think for yourself, and to engage in democracy. They are places to learn, grow and connect with your community and with the broader world.”
KUOW also produced a story this weekend that is an excellent overview of what’s at stake. Washington State Librarian Sara Jones detailed which services were being threatened by these cuts:
- “The Washington Talking Book and Braille Library, which serves people who have a hard time with the written word due to visual impairments, physical disabilities, or reading disabilities like dyslexia
- “Support for institutional libraries in state prisons, including through the Department of Corrections, the juvenile detention center at Echo Glen, and the two state hospitals
- “Continuing education opportunities for school librarians, including a career program for young librarians
- “Digital and historic preservation efforts
- “Broadband access and equipment for 25 libraries in the state.”
In the KUOW story, The Seattle Public Library Foundation’s CEO Brian Lawrence noted that the IMLS cuts will put the final phase of the teen mental health program at SPL in jeopardy, and creates a very precarious situation for smaller and rural library systems.
“My message to listeners is this: Support your local libraries as they are coming under attack.”
“My message to listeners is this: Support your local libraries as they are coming under attack.”
In the KUOW story, Deputy Secretary of State Randy Bolerjack responded to Sonderling’s claim that the IMLS supports programming that is “anti-American.”
“What is more American than the freedom to read, the freedom of information, the freedom of speech?” he said.
More information about what you can do
- Read Chief Librarian Tom Fay’s Seattle Times op-ed: “Libraries, Which Inform, Inspire and Welcome All, Are Under Attack”
- Listen to the KUOW story: “Washington’s Libraries Face Deep and Dramatic Funding Cuts”
- Visit the American Library Association’s FAQ
- Sign up for Public Library Action Network alerts