Dear VAASL members and supporters,

 On March 14, an Executive Order from the White House called for reductions to the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), among other cultural institutions.

The Executive Order states that IMLS “shall reduce the performance of their statutory functions and associated personnel to the minimum presence and function required by law.” As of this moment, the Grants to States allocations that directly impact state libraries is a statutory function, but it is unclear if there is a move to modify that. Attorneys for various agencies are currently evaluating the language.

The American Library Association has shared a tool that allows you to easily contact your members of Congress to let them know your library story and to encourage them to support IMLS. View this here: https://oneclickpolitics.global.ssl.fastly.net/messages/edit?promo_id=23577

This funding is important to all types of libraries (including schools).   In Virginia, funding from IMLS makes its way to every Virginian. In 2024, Virginia received $4,316,228 from the Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA.)  Please visit https://www.lva.virginia.gov/lib-edu/ldnd/lsta/ for ways in which those funds  positively impact the Commonwealth.

In addition to the information shared yesterday (found below), please refer to this FAQ provided by the American Library Association for any questions about the the Executive Order from President  Trump targeting the Institute of Museum and Library Services.

Click here to see where the the LSTA funding goes in Virginia.