On March 14, President Trump issued an executive order to eliminate the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), the federal agency responsible for supporting libraries and museums nationwide.

On March 31, almost all of the staff at IMLS were placed on administrative leave, many members of the IMLS board were abruptly terminated on April 3, and most of the staff have received notice that their jobs have been abolished. It is now uncertain whether grants that have already been approved will be dispersed, including crucial grants to each state.

The future of critical library services is in jeopardy.

For Maine, the stakes are incredibly high. Federal support enables public libraries to provide free gigabit internet, interlibrary loan services, digital resources and programs for rural and homebound residents. In fiscal year 2024, Maine received more than $1.5 million in Library Services and Technology Act funds, helping to ensure that every Mainer — regardless of location or income — has access to educational and cultural resources.

While Maine libraries do not receive any direct federal or state funding, federal grants to the Maine State Library provide important infrastructure and services to libraries statewide. Without this funding, many of these essential services will be at risk.

The elimination of IMLS is not just a blow to libraries; it is a challenge to congressional authority.

Our system of government relies on checks and balances, and funding decisions rest with Congress, not the White House. The Maine congressional delegation has long been a champion for libraries, and we appreciate all they have done. We thank Sen. Susan Collins for sending a letter, along with three other senators, to IMLS Acting Director Keith Sonderling, urging him to continue IMLS’ mission to engage with and support libraries and museums.

We also thank Reps. Chellie Pingree and Jared Golden for signing onto a House letter supporting IMLS. We are calling on Sens. Collins and Angus King, and Reps. Pingree and Golden to continue to assert their constitutional authority, safeguard the IMLS, and ensure that future appropriations remain intact.

The impact of this decision is not theoretical — it affects real people across the state. One example is from Knox County, where a young child was able to continue their speech therapy during the school summer break at their public library when transportation was not available to the centralized school district building. Another family with aging parents was able to spend more time together when remote work became possible, using the internet provided at the local public library in Aroostook County.

There are many, many more stories of our neighbors and friends benefiting from the connections we can make because of this essential federal funding. Libraries are not luxuries; they are vital public institutions that provide opportunity, information and connection. They serve over a million visitors annually in Maine alone, supporting students, job seekers, small businesses and lifelong learners. At just 0.0046% of the federal budget, the investment in IMLS is modest, but the return for communities is invaluable. Every $1 of federal funding for libraries returns a $5 benefit in direct services.

We urge Mainers to contact their congressional representatives and stand up for libraries. Eliminating and defunding IMLS would disproportionately harm small and rural communities, deepening inequities and stripping away services that many rely on daily. Living in one of the most rural states, Maine residents are especially vulnerable to statewide service cuts.

Congress must step up and protect this essential funding. The future of Maine’s libraries, and the people they serve, depends on it.