Statement on IMLS Staff Administrative Leave

EveryLibrary expresses deep appreciation and unwavering support for the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) staff, who were placed on administrative leave as of today following the Trump Administration’s Executive Order.

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IMLS is responsible for distributing Federal Funding for libraries.

This action will interrupt IMLS's vital, congressionally funded work. We cannot allow IMLS to be dismantled by executive action.

According to AFGE, the union representing IMLS staff, DOGE met with IMLS leadership today and placed the staff on administrative leave.

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While on leave, the staff are prohibited from continuing their duties. All employees were required to turn in government phones and other property before leaving the building, and their email accounts are now disabled. This means that libraries and museums will no longer be able to contact IMLS for updates about the funding they rely on. Work on processing 2025 grants and 2026 applications has ceased entirely, and the status of previously awarded grants is now unclear.

Without staff to administer these programs, it is likely that most grants will be terminated.

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This is not only disruptive — it is potentially devastating for institutions that depend on federal support to meet local needs. This is not merely a bureaucratic activity; it is a crisis for the library, museum, and archive communities across the United States.

We are alarmed and saddened that the dedicated professionals at IMLS—who have diligently worked to fulfill Congress's intent and serve the American public—have been sidelined.

Their work supports every state library through the Grants to States program, uplifts tribal and Native Hawaiian libraries, invests in the leadership development of the museum, library, and archives workforce, and advances national research and innovation through the National Leadership Grants and the Laura Bush 21st Century Librarian programs.

Now, that essential work is paused.

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That's why we made it easy to write a letter to the editor today.

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Neither EveryLibrary nor the EveryLibrary Institute receives IMLS grant funding. We are advocating to save IMLS not for ourselves but for state libraries, our colleagues in museums and archives, and every library and cultural institution that depends on this essential agency to serve their communities.

We are organizing the SaveIMLS.org campaign with urgency and purpose because the stakes are too high.

Congress created IMLS to serve the public good. The grants it administers are not “extras”; they are statutory obligations enacted into law and funded through the appropriations process.

The agency’s staff have fulfilled that mission professionally, especially since the E.O. was published on March 14th. Today, we call on the administration to issue a return-to-work order immediately.

We urge Congress to speak out in defense of IMLS and the institutions it supports. We call on the public—regardless of political affiliation—to recognize the harm being done in their name and to take a stand.

EveryLibrary will continue to fight for the future of federal support for libraries, museums, and archives at www.SaveIMLS.org.

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We invite every American who values free expression, lifelong learning, and cultural heritage to take action today.

Use your voice to contact your elected officials and help spread the word by sharing the campaign across your social networks.

The future of our nation’s libraries, museums, and archives depends on it.