STATEMENT: President Trump’s FY2026 Budget Proposal Will Eliminate the Institute of Museum and Library Services
These attacks are ideologically motivated and structurally dangerous to our educational, civic, cultural, and community institutions.
After trying to destroy federal funding for libraries through an executive order, Trump is now attempting to do it through his proposed budget.
We need people like you to sign the petition to show that Americans support this critical funding for libraries and then click to share it on Bluesky, Facebook, Twitter, Threads, and Linkedin!
On May 2, 2025, the Trump Administration released its FY2026 federal budget proposal.
On page 39, it boldly calls for completely eliminating the budget for the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), the only federal agency dedicated solely to supporting America’s libraries and museums.
His proposal also seeks to eliminate the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH), AmeriCorps, and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB).
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EveryLibrary stands in strong opposition to President Trump’s proposal. IMLS funding provides essential federal funding that supports state library agencies and competitive funding for programs that expand access, build workforce development, and promote lifelong learning across the nation. This funding enables state libraries to extend core services to public, school, academic, and tribal libraries in every community. Cutting it would create chaos for library systems already working with lean budgets, and deeply undermine services for some of the most underserved Americans.
We are urging supporters and stakeholders to take three immediate actions:
- Sign the petition to show that Americans support this critical funding for libraries and then click to it on Bluesky, Facebook, Twitter, Threads, and Linkedin!
- Contact Congress to reinforce the importance of continued support for libraries and then click to share this campaign on Facebook, Bluesky, Threads, Twitter, and Linkedin!
- Finally, we can't do this work without people like you. Trump's network of supporters has given him access to millions of dollars to push his agenda. Please take a moment and make a $25 donation here so that we can continue to fight back.
At EveryLibrary, we are both realistic and hopeful. We understand the risks ahead, but we also believe in the power of voters, constituents, and communities to defend what matters. While we fight for a stable and equitable federal funding framework, we continue our core work: supporting local library funding—which makes up 90% of all public library revenue. We remain the only national organization focused on winning funding at the local level, sometimes in communities as small as a single zip code. We will stay on the front lines campaigning with city councils, county governments, and in local elections to protect that funding base wherever it is at risk.
Libraries are resilient, but they are only as strong as the people who speak up, show up, and vote to support them. Now is the time to fight, not just in D.C. but also in state houses, city halls, school board meetings, and ballot boxes nationwide.
Join us in taking action. Help us protect library funding at every federal, state, and local level because what we do now will shape the future of access, equity, and education in America.