The President issued an Executive Order (EO) on Friday, March 14 requiring several agencies, including the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), to eliminate all “non-statutory components and functions” and to reduce personnel “to the minimum presence and function required by law.” It is clear that this EO directs dramatic cuts to be made at IMLS, although the extent to which existing functions will be identified as non-essential is not yet determined. These cuts threaten an already lean agency of only about 75 people that is very efficiently able to provide critical resources to communities in all 50 states.
ASTC, along with a coalition of other museum- and library-serving associations, continues to work with Congress to emphasize the importance of IMLS and its unique and vital role in supporting museums across the country of all sizes and types. The funding IMLS administers enhances museums’ ability to serve their communities and their states.
Just a few weeks ago, hundreds of museum advocates gathered in Washington, D.C., for Museums Advocacy Day to deliver this message directly to members of Congress. In more than 350 meetings with Congressional offices of both parties, museum advocates nearly universally received strong messages of support.
As shown by this recent experience, we know our messages are resonating in a bipartisan fashion with both the House and Senate. Now is the time to continue speaking up about the impact of federal support for museums.
Taking Action
Museums, libraries, and all who support them should contact their Congressional representatives in both the House and Senate to:
- Share your story about how IMLS funding has supported your work, your museum, and your community. In addition, you can look to AAM’s Advocacy Resources on IMLS for suggested talking points, contact information, and details about this unique agency.
- Tell them about the importance of IMLS continuing to operate as a Congressionally authorized independent agency at its current scope and with an appropriate budget, as Congress has long appropriated funds to on a bipartisan basis.
This week, Members of Congress will be largely home for a district work period, so you should consider reaching out directly to their district offices.
Perhaps more importantly, we encourage you and your fellow museum leaders—including members of your boards and other partners and supporters—to contact your governor and other state leaders and ask them to send the message to your state’s Congressional delegation that the funds IMLS administers are critical to your state and community. Whenever possible, we urge you to provide specific examples of how IMLS and other federal funds are being used by your institution to bolster the local economy, support lifelong learning, and create stronger communities in your region.
We know that you talk with state leaders regularly about the great work that your museum does, and we encourage you to build on those messages by emphasizing how important federal support is for the work you do in your community generally, beyond focusing on any specific agency. State and local leaders are some of the best advocates to their national counterparts for the importance of federal funding, and you can help them make the case that museums must be included in the federal funding that is allocated to your state and Congressional district.
Thank you for the work you continue to do in your community, and for helping to ensure that museums, libraries, and other arts and cultural institutions continue to receive support from the federal government that enables us to be a critical part of our great nation.
We will continue to update you as we learn more critical details about the impacts of the EO and what’s next for IMLS, as well as actions affecting other agencies that work closely with ASTC members.