On March 14th, President Trump issued an executive order calling for eliminating the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), the federal agency for libraries. While there is currently level funding for FY25, this action puts IMLS at serious risk.

The Maine Library Association Executive Board strongly disagrees with this action. The elimination of IMLS would negatively impact all Mainers who rely on library services. Federal funding is critical for the Maine State Library to provide important statewide resources and services. In FY24, the last fully appropriated grant, Maine State Library received $1,526,754 in Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) funds. Each state receives federal funding through LSTA, and the overall ask for FY25 is $214 million. This would include roughly the same amount for Maine as in FY24. 

MLA urges President Trump to reconsider this decision. 

MLA urges the Maine Congressional Delegation to overturn this executive order and ensure at least level funding for IMLS in fiscal year 2026. Given their strong history of supporting Maine libraries and the IMLS, we now call on them to uphold their Congressional authority as the sole body responsible for funding decisions and to continue authorizing appropriations for Grants to States funding.

MLA urges our members and all library supporters to take action to protect federal library funding. 

Federal funding in Maine goes toward:

• Free gigabit internet to 243 public libraries through the Maine School and Library Network

• Supporting interlibrary loan service to over 260 libraries statewide, ensuring Maine residents have access to more than 10 million items

• Providing e-books and e-audiobooks to all Mainers through CloudLibrary

• Providing those who are blind or visually impaired with large print and recorded books mailed to the patron for free

• Delivering professional development training to library staff through consultations and workshops

• Support for online databases offered through the Digital Maine Library

• Providing the Books by Mail program to homebound individuals and Maine residents who live in rural areas without a local library

• Support for Maine InfoNet for technology support and training for shared library catalogs statewide, building a strong connection for resource sharing statewide, and Digital Maine Library tech support and maintenance

While most library funding in Maine comes from local sources, federal dollars are crucial in building equity by providing resources to libraries with smaller budgets. Federal funding for libraries accounts for just 0.003% of the overall federal budget, and this incredibly modest investment ensures that all communities have access to essential library services regardless of local funding capacity. Libraries are open to all, and services are well used. In 2023, there were over one million visits to public libraries in Maine.

We call upon our members and all Maine residents who care about libraries to contact our Congressional delegation and ask them to take action to reverse the President’s executive order. 

Take action here: bit.ly/ProtectLibraryFunding

For more information, see the American Library Association’s Show up for Libraries campaign and ALA’s FAQs about the executive order.

The Maine Library Association Executive Board
Revised March 19, 2025