Impacts on Libraries Nationwide
Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS)
IMLS provides a state-by-state breakdown of its funding allocations on its website. Filter the maps to find how funds were allocated to the University of Minnesota since 1997. Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS).
Library of Congress (LoC)
Deputy attorney general who defended Trump in hush money trial is named acting librarian of Congress (AP News, May 12, 2025)
President Trump fires Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden (AP News, May 9, 2025)
Impacts on Libraries in Minnesota and Neighboring States
IMLS Funding Cuts Impact Minitex
On Friday, March 14, 2025, the White House issued an Executive Order announcing its intention to cut funding for the U.S. Institute for Museum and Library Services (IMLS).
The State of Minnesota receives funding from IMLS and distributes it to libraries, including Minitex, in the form of Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) grants.
Minitex is a publicly supported network of academic, public, state government and special libraries working cooperatively to improve library service for people in Minnesota, North Dakota and South Dakota. It is funded by the Minnesota Legislature through the Minnesota Office of Higher Education. It is a joint program of the Office of Higher Education and the University of Minnesota.
See the Financial Overview in the Minitex Annual Report FY24 for a depiction of LSTA grants and the Minitex budget.
Advocacy and Resources
Minitex IMLS Information and Timeline
FAQ: Executive Order Targeting IMLS - American Library Association (ALA)
MLA Legislative Advocacy - Minnesota Library Association (MLA)
News About Local Impacts on Libraries
Minnesota libraries warn federal cuts may hurt services (MPR News, May 6, 2025)
EO and DOGE force South Dakota to discontinue ILL (South Dakota State Library announces service cuts on Facebook, April 14, 2025)
Legal Cases about Libraries
Legal Cases involving Libraries
American Library Association v. Sonderling (Filed on April 7, 2025)
- The American Library Association (ALA) and American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) lawsuit regarding IMLS funding cuts. Both AFSCME Local 3800 and Minitex, a publicly funded library consortium of the Minnesota Offices of Higher Education and the University of Minnesota Libraries, are mentioned on page 21. (Provided by Free Law Project, a non-profit dedicated to creating high quality open legal information.)
- Judge Grants IMLS a Temporary Reprieve in ‘ALA v. Sonderling’ (May 2, 2025, Publishers Weekly.): Article with updates about a new TRO filed on May 1.
21 state attorneys suit to block closure of the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) and 6 other agencies (Filed on April 4, 2025)
- On April 4, a coalition of 21 state attorneys filed an emergency action in federal court in Rhode Island seeking to block the Trump administration’s bid to shutter the Institute of Museum and Library Services as well as six other agencies as outlined in a March 14 executive order. (from Words and Money, April 7, 2025)
- In a Major Win for Libraries, Federal Judge Orders IMLS to Be Restored (Words & Money, May 13, 2025): Today federal judge John G. McConnell in Rhode Island issued a preliminary injunction blocking Trump administration officials from acting on the president's March 14 executive order to dismantle IMLS.