"...Summer reading programs and online databases for rural public and school libraries in the Commonwealth are in the crosshairs. Access to government information for greater transparency, to original documents from Virginia’s past and to equitable services for libraries big and small, hang in the balance under the guise of “unnecessary federal bureaucracy.”
“The Library of Virginia is dismayed to learn of the planned elimination of the Institute for Museum and Library Services (IMLS). IMLS funding, which accounts for 16% of the Library of Virginia’s budget, is essential in ensuring all Virginians have access to fundamental library services,” said Dennis T. Clark, Librarian of Virginia since January 2024. “Rural public and school libraries in particular depend on the online databases, summer reading programs and interlibrary loans that IMLS funding provides.”'
Find It Virginia, a platform that provides free education resources and tools for children, parents, military veterans and English language learners, is one of several programs statewide whose funding could be gutted by the shuttering of the federal Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), the latest in a series of moves by President Donald Trump’s administration to slash “wasteful” spending.
The platform has helped connect military veterans to employment resources, provided tutoring services for children and tools to learn different languages, all for free — federal funding through IMLS offsets the costs of the $1.6 million system.
“All of these resources, which would ordinarily cost individual libraries or even individuals a lot of money if they wanted access, are shared here as a resource with all public libraries,” said Lisa Varga, executive director for the Virginia Library Association...
ADVOCACY CENTER
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Click HEREand sign up for the VLA Advocacy Center Mailing List to make sure you're receiving Virginia action alerts and updates on policy issues related to the library field. This will help you keep abreast of legislation that could affect your local library and community.
Presidential Action to Eliminate IMLS
On March 14th, the federal administration issued a Presidential Action titled "Continuing the Reduction of the Federal Bureaucracy". In it he expressed his wish that several independent agencies, including the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), "...be eliminated to the maximum extend 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."
In the fiscal year 2024, IMLS received $267 million, 0.003 percent of the federal budget. This money is distributed to the museums, archives, and libraries in the various states and territories through its Grants to States, which "...support the purposes and priorities outlined in the Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA)". Virginia's portion of that for libraries alone is $4.3 million. See what the Library of Virginia does with those funds in our LSTA Funding in Virginia infographic.
On March 31st, the staff at IMLS were placed on leave, which jeopardized the ability of the agency to function, though a few have been hired back since then. The biggest concern regarding the roughly 75% reduction in staff is that it was already a small agency, and with the reduction would there be enough staff remaining to process the request for funds coming from the individual states who are seeking their congressionally obligated funding for the remainder of the federal fiscal year. This includes the requests from Virginia.
Many statements of support for IMLS have been issued from library and museum associations and institutions, publishers, members of Congress, and others, all of whom emphasize the importance of this funding for communities across the nation. You can read some of those statements HERE.
This is an ongoing concern, and updates and changes on what is happening occur rapidly. The Library of Virginia is sharing what information it can, when it can, regarding how this will affect the public libraries.
As advocates for your local public library, please keep an eye on the news for more information from local and national sources and keep in touch with your library director for any further updates from the Library of Virginia on how this may impact your own library.
UNITED FOR LIBRARIES RESOURCES
Virginia library staff and stakeholders (folks like you!) have access to a whole host of resources from United for Libraries.
The 2024 recipients of the National Friends of Libraries Week Awards and the United for Libraries Awards for Innovation sponsored by Baker & Taylor will speak about their award-winning projects, including:
Friends of Lakewood Ranch (Fla.) Library’s mission to “Fill the Shelves,” which helped fund an opening day collection for the new library.
Eugene (Ore.) Public Library Foundation’s “Love Your Library” campaign that included a design competition and a letter-writing campaign to the Eugene City Council.
Friends of Tye Preston Memorial Library (Canyon Lake, Texas)'s week full of activities for National Friends of Libraries Week, including a Fall Fun festival and a book art class.
In addition, attendees will learn about the process for applying for National Friends of Libraries Week Awards and the United for Libraries Awards for Innovation sponsored by Baker & Taylor in 2025.
This interactive three-day virtual event will feature expert speakers on current topics facing library Trustees, Friends, Foundations, and staff who work with them.
Participate in live Q&A sessions with presenters.
Enjoy exclusive access to keynote speakers and authors.
Receive a certificate of attendance (for live participation or on-demand viewing).
Free registration for Virginia library stakeholders
These are scary times for libraries. It may feel like there are political traps everywhere, but we still have a critical message to deliver: we know our mission, and we won’t give up on it. Join Libraries4DE in a frank discussion on keeping our heads above water. We’ll share practical tips for communicating our non-partisan mission to any audience, even the most hostile. Attendees can expect vocabulary tools, messaging ideas, and a supportive conversation. After all, libraries are still good news for everyone.
Join fundraising master trainer, Chad Barger, ACFRE, ACNP for a workshop focused on equipping and motivating your board members to be great fundraisers. You’ll learn how to help them get over their fear of fundraising and develop the fundraising habit. Accountability and follow through will also be discussed. The session includes tools and samples that you can use to start building a fundraising culture within your board.
The digital landscape is as crowded as ever, so how do mission-driven nonprofits stand out to reach new donors, volunteers, and other supporters? In this session, we will explore how nonprofits can develop and improve online communication plans that drive results.
Please note, if you register with a non-library issued e-mail address, someone from the Library of Virginia will follow up with you to confirm that you are affiliated with a Virginia library before you can access the content.
BOOKS
titles
Click on the image to learn more about each title, and then use your local library to request them from the Library of Virginia.
QUOTED
"A library outranks any other one thing a community can do to benefit its people. It is a never failing spring in the desert."
This newsletter is brought to you by the Library Development division of the Library of Virginia. Funding for this is provided through the Virginia General Assembly and the Institute for Museum and Library Studies (IMLS).
