Apr 12, 2025
HANCOCK COUNTY—Library directors from throughout Hancock County have penned a letter in response to a March 14 presidential executive order, which cuts funding to the Institute for Museum and Library Services (IMLS).
That agency, which is federally mandated, supports museums and libraries in all the states.
The 1996 Library Services and Technology Act and IMLS has helped to significantly fund the Maine State Library each year, providing approximately one-third of the library’s funding.
Thirteen library directors from Hancock County have penned a letter explaining their displeasure and urging Maine residents to stand up for libraries by contacting their congressional representatives.
“Hancock County, known for its strong community support for libraries, is home to 22 libraries that serve nearly 38,000 registered users from every background. Most recent statistics report patrons visited local libraries more than 350,000 times in 2023. While our county benefits from a robust range of library services, it still relies on essential resources provided by IMLS through the Maine State Library. These services include interlibrary loans, internet access, and digital content like eBooks, eAudiobooks, and research tools from state databases such as Ancestry.com. However, these services are now in jeopardy since the Trump administration halted IMLS operations,” the letter reads.
On April 10, the Maine State Library announced that 30% of its staff would be laid off because of the cuts. The 13 laid off employees received that news this week. A program grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) funded their positions. The library is temporarily closed and hopes to open again on April 28.
The Jesup Memorial Library included a link to the co-authored letter from local library directors in its email newsletter Friday afternoon.
“While the impacts of these cuts on the Jesup and our patrons are not yet known, services that depend on federal funding include interlibrary loan, CloudLibrary, and our library catalog, Minerva, which facilitates shared collections with dozens of other libraries,” the Jesup newsletter reads.
It also asks readers to “consider these resources published by the American Library Association about contacting our Congressional representatives: ‘Show Up For Our Libraries.’”
Maine’s State Library received $1,526,754 from the IMLS Library Services & Technology Act, Grants-to-States program in fiscal year 2024.
“Losing access to this Federal funding harms Maine residents and will have negative consequences in communities across the state,” said Lori Fisher, Maine State Librarian. “Despite these significant cuts, the Maine State Library remains committed to advancing the mission of libraries in Maine and to serving every library patron to the best of our ability.”
Maine has 257 public libraries, more than 600 school libraries and other libraries in health care, nonprofit, museum, academic, government agencies, and correctional institutions.
Across the country, IMLS gave 633 grants to libraries, states, and museums in 2024. Multiple libraries in multiple states have reported their grants have ended early. The American Library Association reports similarly, adding that library funding accounts for less than 0.003% of the nation’s budget.
“This order continues the reduction in the elements of the Federal bureaucracy that the President has determined are unnecessary,” the March 14 order reads.
It goes on to state, “Except as provided in subsection (b) of this section, the non-statutory components and functions of the following governmental entities shall be eliminated to the maximum extent consistent with applicable law, and such entities shall reduce the performance of their statutory functions and associated personnel to the minimum presence and function required by law.”
Those agencies include: the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service; the United States Agency for Global Media; the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars in the Smithsonian Institution; the Institute of Museum and Library Services; the United States Interagency Council on Homelessness; the Community Development Financial Institutions Fund; and the Minority Business Development Agency.
The American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees and the American Library Association has sued with the intent to stop the order, arguing that IMLS program cuts is against the law because it eliminates Congressionally funding programs. The organizations asked for a preliminary injunction, April 10, hoping to keep those grants from being cut.
Also in Maine, the Children’s Museum and Theatre of Maine lost approximately $225,000 in federal grants. These were connected to performances that would have been live and related to Wabanaki history.
The Bar Harbor Story is generously sponsored by Rick Osann Art.
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