A recent presidential Executive Order calls for the elimination of the Institute of Museum and Library Services, which provides funding to states.
In addition to grants to individual libraries for specific projects, Massachusetts uses this funding for statewide programs, including:
- The statewide database collection, which is available to public library patrons and students of all ages
- The Commonwealth Catalog, which enables borrowing and lending of physical materials among libraries across the state
- The Library eBooks and Audiobooks program, which allows for digital items to be shared across library networks via OverDrive
If you use any of these services, you can help by explaining how their loss would affect you.
The Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners, which distributes federal and state funding to libraries, is providing updates on the situation.