Indiana library programs, including Monroe County Public Libraries, could be disrupted by an executive order signed by President Donald Trump earlier this month.
The executive order reduces the Institute of Museum and Library Services, an independent federal agency responsible for libraries and museums. MCPL Director Grier Carson said that could impact statewide e-book and interlibrary loan services.
The order called for seven governmental agencies, including the IMLS, to be “eliminated to the maximum extent” legally possible, including cutting services and personnel. For current grant recipients, the status of funding remains uncertain.
“The topic of conversation among public libraries right now is, what's the impact going to be? Who's going to feel it first? How much reduction are we going to see in access as a result of the lack of funding?” Carson said. “And we really don't know yet.”
Founded in 1996, the IMLS is the largest federal funding source for libraries and museums in the United States. In 2024, the IMLS had a $295 million budget that made up about 0.005% of the overall federal budget.
That funding supports libraries across Indiana and helps the Indiana State Library run programs including research databases, archives for historical documents, study materials, efforts to improve child literacy and accessible materials for the blind and visually impaired.
The Indiana State Library also relies on the IMLS to help fund its Digital Library, which gives patrons at member libraries access to the combined e-book and e-audiobook collections of over 200 public libraries.
Lisa Champelli, the collection development manager at MCPL, said reduced funding for that program could increase wait times for titles on Libby, the app that hosts the Indiana Digital Library’s catalogue.
Carson said MCPL could also experience disruptions to its interlibrary loan system, a popular service allowing patrons to request books from other regional libraries.
The InfoExpress program, a service by the Indiana State Library that MCPL uses to share titles between Indiana libraries through two weekly book drop-offs, also relies partly on IMLS funding.
Carson said cuts to that service would have a “huge impact” on library patrons.
“If that were to be reduced significantly, then we would no longer be the interlibrary loan library that we're proud of being,” Carson said.
Champelli said local libraries would have to pick up costs for reduced IMLS programs, forcing them to drop other services to save money.
“Anytime we're having to make those kinds of budget choices, it means, what are we not going to purchase in order to invest in something else?” Champelli said.
On March 20, the MCPL published an open letter calling for patrons to call representatives or sign a petition opposing the executive order and supporting the IMLS’ funding of statewide library programs.
“Isn't that what we want our government agencies to be doing? Isn't that how public funding works, is to help improve our shared communities?” Champelli said. “If we lose that, it's a loss to the community as a whole.”
