On March 14th, President Trump signed an Executive Order 14238, stating that the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) should be reduced to the maximum extent permitted by law. On March 31, all IMLS staff were placed on leave.
The IMLS is the federal institution that routes federal funding to states for further distribution to libraries, and to individual libraries and museums through grant programs. IMLS awarded $266 million in grants and research funding last year. This program makes up less than 0.003% of the federal budget.
To speak of the financial loss to the Hopkinton Public Library due to the gutting of the IMLS would be disingenuous, as most of the funding that the IMLS disburses in Massachusetts pays for state-wide, shared services that strengthen libraries across the state, providing vital services that individual libraries, particularly small libraries, would struggle to afford on their own. The loss of the IMLS and the funding it provides will directly and indirectly affect the quality and variety of services that you as a library patron can access, regardless of your home library.
In Massachusetts, IMLS funding is entrusted to the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners (MBLC), which uses this funding to purchase databases which are accessible to every public and school library in the state. 60% of the use of these databases comes from school libraries. Last year, there were over 9 million full text downloads from these databases. If you have used Gale databases, ProQuest databases, or Britannica Online at the library or at school, you have benefited from IMLS funds. The MBLC also uses IMLS funding to support the Commonwealth Catalog (ComCat), which helps libraries share books across the entire state. Each month, 7,500 items are shared through this system.
Our library network, CW MARS, also benefits from IMLS funding. If you use Libby to borrow e-books or e-audiobooks, some of the annual fees for administering that platform are paid through IMLS funding. The loss of this funding would result in a smaller variety of available books, fewer copies of popular books, and even longer wait lines, which we know is already a pain point for our e-content readers.
The Hopkinton Public Library has additionally benefitted from grants funded through the IMLS. Recently, the Library was awarded $20,000 for an Access for All grant. This funding allowed the Library to do an accessibility survey of the library; to purchase sensory materials for the children’s department; and to offer an American Sign Language to our staff. We were also awarded $6,000 to complete a Preservation Assessment Grant, which allowed us to get professional recommendations for improvements to our Local History Room. These improvements would assist us in preserving books, records, and items which exemplify Hopkinton’s rich and complex history. Many of these items are centuries old and one-of-a-kind. The further grants that the Library would have applied for to actually implement these improvements used to be funded by the IMLS as well. As of now, we do not know whether this funding will still be available and whether we will be able to make the necessary improvements to preserve our history.
The Hopkinton Public Library is committed to serving our patrons to the best of our ability. However, as with so many things, intentions can only take us so far. If the MBLC and CW MARS lose funding for things such as databases, ComCat, e-books, and other benefits that are shared among Massachusetts libraries, the Hopkinton Library will need to divert resources to address those needs locally, or select to lose those services entirely. This would result in us needing to make some hard choices about what services we can continue to provide. The situation is changing daily. Until we know what funding will be frozen, we can’t tell you with any certainty what services will be affected, but we can tell you that we will continue to serve the Hopkinton community with the dedication and values that you have come to rely on.
We are dismayed that our current Federal Administration does not value investment in this country’s libraries. In 2024, Massachusetts libraries reported 36 million visits; more than Disneyland, and more people than attend an entire season of Red Sox, Bruins, Patriots, and Celtics games combined.
If you are interested, please read more from the following sources:
The Executive Order:
Statements from Library organizations:
American Library Association: https://www.ala.org/news/2025/03/ala-statement-white-house-assault-institute-museum-and-library-services
Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners:
New England Library Association
https://bit.ly/3RwtYf7
Coverage by National Newspapers:
CBS:
NPR:
The Observer:
Coverage by Local Newspapers:
The Bedford Citizen:
The Sun Chronicle (Attleboro area):
WBUR
https://www.wbur.org/news/2025/04/02/massachusetts-library-services-threatened-by-trump-funding-cuts
Make Your Voice Heard
If you want to make your voice heard, the most effective way to do that right now is to contact your representative. You can sign one of the petitions below, or you can contact your federal or state representatives directly.
EveryLibrary Petition: Stop Trump’s E.O. Attacks on Federal Funding for Libraries
Show Up For Our Libraries (ALA)
Federal Legislators: FIND YOUR MEMBER
State Legislators: FIND YOUR LEGISLATOR
Respectfully,
The Hopkinton Public Library Leadership
