California libraries losing millions in funding after Trump terminates federal grant
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Libraries across California are bracing for cuts to early literacy, information access and continuing education programs after the Trump administration’s latest effort to slash federal spending took aim at the nation’s libraries and museums.
The California State Library, which supports local libraries and maintains its own collection, said it was notified this week that a key federal grant supporting programs across the state had been terminated, losing at least $3 million in funding that had already been awarded.
The grant’s abrupt stop comes amid turmoil at the Institute of Museum and Library Services, an independent federal agency that provides the majority of federal support for the nation’s libraries, and at least seven other agencies that were targeted in one of President Trump’s recent executive orders that aimed at a further “reduction of the federal bureaucracy.” Much of the staff at the library-focused agency were placed on administration leave this week after Trump called for the majority of its functions, as well as several others, to “be eliminated to the maximum extent consistent with applicable law.”
On Friday, following this latest round of federal layoffs and cuts to programs and services that millions of Californians depend on, Atty. Gen. Rob Bonta said his office filed another lawsuit against the Trump administration, arguing that the executive order and funding reductions exceed the president’s power and violate the Administrative Procedure Act. The lawsuit, filed along with several other states’ attorneys general, highlighted the cuts at the Institute of Museum and Library Services, the Minority Business Development Agency and the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service.
These agencies “have been forced to hollow out their staffs, shutter operations and end programs Congress directed them to provide,” Bonta said Friday afternoon at a virtual press conference. “This is just the latest move in Trump’s sweeping campaign to dismantle the federal government, leave federal workers high and dry and deny Americans services that they rely on.”
In a statement Thursday, the California State Library said it had yet to receive more than 20% of a $15.7-million grant awarded under the Library Services and Technology Act for the 2024-2025 fiscal year. The funds had been distributed to support a wide range of programs across California’s libraries, including story times for low-income families, summer reading initiatives, workforce-readiness skills for at-risk youth and opportunities to earn online high school diplomas.
In the hours and days after the Trump administration’s funding freeze, California leaders saw chaos and confusion. They fear more devastating effects if the courts don’t permanently block such action.
“We are deeply disappointed by this ill-informed decision, which immediately affects critical programs supported by these funds,” Rebecca Wendt, the California deputy state librarian, said in a statement. “The California State Library remains committed to serving all of the people of California and will explore alternative means to ensure continued access to essential library services.”
The American Library Assn. called the staff reductions and cuts at the Institute for Museum and Library Services “extremely shortsighted and perilous for the millions of Americans who rely on our public, school, academic, and special libraries.”
“Library funding draws less than 0.003% of the annual federal budget yet has enormous impact in communities nationwide,” the association said in a statement. “From technology classes for jobseekers to services for people with disabilities, from library delivery for older Americans to summer reading programs for families, IMLS funding makes a real, concrete difference in the lives of Americans every day.”
It wasn’t immediately clear how the lost funds might affect specific library programs in Los Angeles County, but Skye Patrick, the county librarian, said it will likely limit future programming if the federal grant program remains inactive.
“We recently submitted applications for grants to support teen, sustainability, and music programs,” Patrick said in a statement. “The loss of this funding opportunity could affect our ability to bring these enriching programs to the community. We remain hopeful that future support for [Library Services and Technology Act] grants will allow libraries to continue fostering education, creativity, and belonging for all.”
A request for comment from the IMLS was not immediately answered.
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