The Institute of Museum and Library Services put all of its staff on administrative leave Tuesday, less than a month after President Donald Trump signed an executive order calling for the agency to be shut down, calling saying the institute is "unnecessary."
But according to the American Library Association, the IMLS constitutes 0.003% of the annual federal budget.
Among many things, they use these funds to provide access to informational databases for libraries. These databases cover a wide range of needs, from tracking books as they move between libraries to helping students' study and write essays.
Dan Hutchins is the Executive Director of the Van Buren District Library, he said smaller, rural libraries will likely be unable to continue funding access to these resources.
“If you live in a smaller community, I can almost promise you your local library is going to struggle to maintain these services. And honestly, they might not be able to maintain them.”
This sentiment was echoed by Farrell Howe, a spokesperson with Kalamazoo Public Library.
“They absolutely rely on this grant money, to use this type of funding through IMLS, and they don't have the resources to be able to find alternative funding.”
Howe added that KPL will likely be able to continue funding access to these resources, though interruptions to access may occur.
Michael Symonds reports for WMUK through the Report for America national service program.
