Library organizations nationwide — and in Alaska — are cautiously optimistic about the return of the Institute of Museum and Library Services Grants to States program following developments in multiple court challenges to President Donald Trump’s March 14 executive order dismantling the institute, and an announcement from IMLS on June 2 appropriating federal funding to states for library services.
Dr. Amy Phillips-Chan, director for the Alaska State Libraries, Archives and Museums, sent an email to “Alaska library colleagues,” including Homer Public Library Director Dave Berry, on June 3 stating that IMLS alerted state libraries the previous day “that the federal year 2025 budget (State of Alaska FY2026) has cleared (U.S. Office of Management and Budget) apportionment.”
An allotment table issued by IMLS shows a total of $180 million appropriated in federal funding for 59 states and territories for FY2025. Federal funds slated to be issued to Alaska this year for IMLS’ Grants to States program amount to $1,276,008 — about $800 less than funding awarded for FY2024, which amounted to $1,276,792.
Berry called the Grants to States program “IMLS’ single biggest responsibility” and reiterated that it supports libraries all over the country.
Phillips-Chan said that IMLS intends to issue awards “in another week or so.”
“We recognize that while this is mostly great news, there is still a degree of uncertainty as award letters are not yet in hand,” she wrote.
The IMLS — along with six other government entities — was largely dismantled and defunded earlier this year, following Trump’s executive order issued March 14, titled “Continuing the Reduction of the Federal Bureaucracy.” All IMLS staff were placed on administrative leave March 31.
The American Library Association issued a press release May 21 noting that IMLS staff had returned to work and “some IMLS grants” had been reinstated.
Following the executive order’s issuance, in April the attorneys general of 21 states — including Rhode Island, New York, Hawaii, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oregon, Vermont, Washington and Wisconsin — filed a federal lawsuit, Rhode Island v. Trump, attempting to halt the Trump administration’s dismantling of IMLS and two other agencies impacted by the executive order. A federal judge issued a preliminary injunction in May ordering the administration to “promptly take all necessary steps” to reverse actions taken to carry out directives contained within the executive order, and that they “shall not take any further actions to eliminate IMLS” and the other two agencies pursuant to the executive order.
In addition, the administration and agency leaders were required to restore all agency employees and personal service contractors who had been involuntarily placed on leave or terminated, as well as resume processing, disbursement and payment of already-awarded funding and release awarded funds “previously withheld or rendered inaccessible” due to the executive order “with respect to recipients in plaintiff States.” The administration is also currently prevented from further pausing, canceling or terminating grants or contracts to recipients in the plaintiff states.
The administration filed a status report on May 20 indicating compliance with orders contained in the injunction. They also appealed the injunction and requested a stay of the order pending appeal; this request was denied by the court on June 5.
The American Library Association also filed a lawsuit, ALA v. Sonderling, et al., in April against Deputy Secretary of Labor Keith Sonderling, who also serves as the acting director for IMLS. A judge issued a temporary restraining order May 1 to halt further actions to dismantle the IMLS; a ruling on the library association’s request for a preliminary injunction is still forthcoming as of June 5.
American Library Association President Cindy Hohl, in the May 21 press release, called developments to date “critical first steps.”
“Even as we celebrate this progress, we must remember that these wins are temporary and only as good as the extent to which they are upheld throughout the appeals process,” she said. “We are cautiously optimistic, but library advocates will not rest until libraries in every state receive the funding promised and IMLS is back in full force to meet the information needs of all Americans.”
Reach reporter Delcenia Cosman at delcenia.cosman@homernews.com.
