The Trump Administration is proposing to slash the budget for the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), a federal agency that provides $180 million to the country’s many public libraries, archives and museums to build their collections and strengthen their programming. Already, $3.9 million that was allocated for the state of Washington has been terminated, and other states have suffered the same fate.
Ending federal support would devastate the Athens Regional Library System and Georgia’s approximately 400 other libraries, which received a total of $5.2 million in 2024 through the Georgia Library Services and Technology Act. Georgia officials don’t yet know how much money, if any, the state will receive from IMLS.
“I’ve seen firsthand how libraries serve every corner of our community, regardless of political affiliation, background or belief system,” said Beth McIntyre, director of the Athens system. “Public libraries are anchored in the shared values that unite us as Americans. Whether you’re a parent looking for early literacy story times, a veteran applying for benefits, a student without home internet, or a small business owner researching local markets, the library is here for you because you are a member of the community.”
The Georgia library system relies on federal money to fund the computerized lending technology (PINES) that serves the state’s nearly 5 million library card holders. If the local library doesn’t have the book you want in its collection, another library in the state will send its copy. Federal money also helps cover the costs of summer reading programs, which introduce young readers to the joy of books and encourage established readers to continue reading. Among other services, the library provides speedy internet access and talking books for blind and print-disabled patrons, facilitates the process of applying for a passport, and allows patrons to scan and fax documents and obtain e-books. The main Athens library even has a seed library for checking out vegetable, fruit and flower seeds.
In fiscal year 2024, residents made more than 45 million visits to libraries across Georgia and checked out 35 million items—books, movies, CDs of music, audiobooks and even musical instruments. Librarians fear that without federal support, many of their services will be decimated. The budget for buying books for their collections will shrink. Free, high-speed internet service will be cut, and eventually, so will staff positions. There will be no more experts to teach patrons how to use computer software and hardware, to help those looking for jobs or to support children and adults learning to read.
“Libraries are not just about books. We are about access, equity and empowerment,” said McIntyre. “Federal investment in libraries is a modest cost with a profound return. To eliminate it is to gamble with our future.”
The head of the American Library Association, Cindy Hohl, called the cuts callous and cruel. “The White House may have no qualms about slashing opportunities for jobseekers, students, veterans and families, but Congress has the power to restore support for services their constituents rely on,” she said in a statement. “It’s time for elected leaders to show up for our libraries.”
Athens’ Republican U.S. Rep. Mike Collins will not be showing up. In a letter to Janet Burroughs, director of the Elbert County Public Library, he said, “The federal government is too large and there are too many agencies, large and small, using taxpayer money to do things that should be left to states, local governments, or Americans themselves. In the spirit of the 10th Amendment and as a small government conservative, I support President Trump’s effort to get rid of wasteful federal agencies and programs, including IMLS.”
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