Employees from the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) have been placed on administrative leave, effective today. Staff access to IMLS systems and offices, including email, has also been suspended.
For almost 40 years, IMLS has been an essential independent agency that is often the only federal source of support for work core to museums and libraries, including local efforts to develop the museum workforce, steward priceless collections, engage communities, and develop exhibitions and educational programs that have lasting impact on audiences of all ages.
ASTC is thinking of the dedicated IMLS staff who are suddenly unable to continue their important work to advance, support, and empower America’s museums, libraries, and related organizations. Since it was established in 1996, IMLS has been a responsible steward of tax dollars, helping to strengthen communities across the country.
Without staff, there are significant questions on how IMLS can carry out its statutory responsibilities and great uncertainty about the future of community programs supported by the agency. Museums and libraries are being left in the lurch.
IMLS is already a lean and efficient independent federal agency; despite a staff of only about 75 individuals and a budget of less than $300 million—the agency has enabled libraries and museums across the country to serve the needs of their communities. Indeed, IMLS funding of only about $55 million per year for museums has helped foster a sector that returns $50 billion annually to the U.S. economy. Those grant funds don’t stay in Washington, but support local priorities in communities across the country. Museums are economic engines, essential parts of the nation’s educational infrastructure, and organizations that foster a strong sense of community.
There’s a long history of bipartisan support for IMLS. In just the past week, several Members of Congress have spoken out on the value of IMLS, including a bipartisan letter from the lead authors of the Museum and Library Services Act of 2018, which provides the current authorization for IMLS. The letter “remind[s] the Administration of its obligation to faithfully execute the provisions of the law as authorized.” The letter’s four authors—Senators Jack Reed (D-RI), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Susan Collins (R-ME), and Lisa Murkowski (R-AK)—write that they “expect that the Administration will implement the Full-Year Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act of 2025 in a manner consistent with…[the] allocations enacted in Fiscal Year 2025” and to “support both libraries and museums as Congress intended and authorized in the MLSA.”
What you can do
Please explain the importance of federal support for museums to your elected officials at the federal and state levels. Tell the story of impact from grants your organization has received from IMLS or other federal agencies. And share how the loss of an agency like IMLS could be harmful to your organization and to your community. We direct you to the advocacy resources offered by the American Alliance of Museums for suggested talking points and a portal through which you can reach out to your elected representatives.