ALA statement on White House assault on the Institute of Museum and Library Services
WASHINGTON – An executive order issued by the Trump administration on Friday night, March 14, calls for the elimination of the Institute of Museum and Library Services, the nation’s only federal agency for America’s libraries. The following statement was made by the American Library Association:
Americans have loved and relied on public, school and academic libraries for generations. By eliminating the only federal agency dedicated to funding library services, the Trump administration’s executive order is cutting off at the knees the most beloved and trusted of American institutions and the staff and services they offer:
Early literacy development and grade-level reading programs
Summer reading programs for kids
High-speed internet access
Employment assistance for job seekers
Braille and talking books for people with visual impairments
Homework and research resources for students and faculty
Veterans’ telehealth spaces equipped with technology and staff support
STEM programs, simulation equipment and training for workforce development
Small business support for budding entrepreneurs
To dismiss some 75 committed workers and mission of an agency that advances opportunity and learning is to dismiss the aspirations and everyday needs of millions of Americans. And those who will feel that loss most keenly live in rural communities.
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