Executive Order 14238 IMLS

Executive Order 14238 and How It May Impact Your Library

 

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 provides 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. 

So, what does this mean for Coos Bay Public Library? At this point, I don’t have a solid answer. But I can share with you what IMLS does for our library and the libraries of Oregon. 

  • Two-thirds of the Library Support and Development Services division staff, who advise and support the 1,600 academic, public school, and special libraries and Tribal Nations around the state. These staff also coordinate the programs listed below.
  • Free access for all Oregonians to electronic articles from magazines, newspapers, academic journals, and more through the Statewide Database Licensing Program.
  • Northwest Digital Heritage, a site that collects over one million digitized photographs, letters, documents, and more from over 250 libraries, museums, and other institutions around the Pacific Northwest. You can find Marshfield High School's books on there thanks to a partnership we have with NWDH.
  • Competitive grant programs for libraries that have funded projects as diverse as bookmobiles, teen internships in libraries, loanable laptops for low-income students, makerspaces, and digital skills training. Coos Bay Public Library has been the recipient of these grants and was on track to be awarded another one prior to this news.     
  • Statewide and regional programs such as the Oregon Battle of the Books, Library2Go, and many other programs. Coos Bay and other county residents use Library2Go over 5,000 times a month to download e-books and audiobooks. Marshfield High School and North Bend High School Battle of the Books teams are often top in the state.
  • Answerland, the state’s 24/7 online chat reference service that connects people with questions to librarians with answers.
  • Free professional development opportunities for library staff, volunteers, and board members.

 

Coos Bay Public Library is committed to serving our patrons to the best of our ability with available resources. Until we know exactly what will happen to IMLS, I cannot be certain about what services may be affected and how that will impact Coos Bay patrons. 

Libraries are necessary for Oregon. Over 11,980,000 people visited Oregon’s public libraries last year. This doesn’t include those who used school, academic, Tribal, and special libraries. 

For more information about the Institute of Museum and Library Services, visit www.IMLS.gov. For more information about Coos Bay Public Library, visit www.coosbaylibrary.org.


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