[SCLA] Suffolk County Library Association’s (SCLA) Statement on President Trump’s Executive Order Eliminating IMLS Funding

[Anthony Giansante]

Suffolk County Library Association’s (SCLA) Statement on President Trump’s
Executive Order Eliminating IMLS Funding

The Suffolk County Library Association (SCLA) strongly opposes the
Executive Order issued on March 14, 2025, which advances the elimination of
the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) which is the only
federal agency solely dedicated to supporting libraries and museums across
the United States.

The IMLS plays a vital role in ensuring equitable access to information,
education, technology, and community services for all Americans. Through
programs like the Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA), IMLS funding
aids local libraries in offering essential services, including early
literacy initiatives, workforce development programs, technology access,
services for veterans, and resources for lifelong learning. In New York
State alone, IMLS provided nearly $20 million in FY2024 to sustain these
critical services.

Libraries throughout Suffolk County use IMLS-administered funding to help
meet the needs of our diverse communities. From homework help and job
search support to digital literacy training and language learning programs,
the resources provided through IMLS are foundational to the work our
community libraries do every day. Eliminating IMLS would not only devastate
these programs but also widen the digital divide, reduce community access
to knowledge, and undermine the infrastructure that supports lifelong
learning in every corner of Suffolk County.

In solidarity with the New York Library Association, SCLA urges President
Trump to reverse his decision and we call on our federal, state, and local
elected officials to do what they must to reject this harmful proposal and
to stand in support of libraries, their workers, and the millions of
individuals and families they serve. We urge residents across Suffolk
County to speak out in defense of the IMLS and advocate for continued
investment in library services that strengthen communities and change lives.

If you have not done so, please consider becoming a library advocate
<https://www.nyla.org/become-an-advocate-> and signing NYLA’s
petitions: Protect
Our Libraries - Increase State Funding Now!
<https://oneclickpolitics.global.ssl.fastly.net/messages/edit?promo_id=23621>
& Defend IMLS Now!
<https://oneclickpolitics.global.ssl.fastly.net/messages/edit?promo_id=23622>

Libraries are not a luxury, they are a lifeline. Now more than ever, we
must fight to preserve and protect them.


-- 

Anthony Giansante (he/him)

Head of Emerging Technology
631-725-0049  // www.johnjermain.org
201 Main Street, Sag Harbor NY
<https://www.youtube.com/@jjmemlib>
<https://www.tiktok.com/@johnjermainlibrary>
<https://www.facebook.com/john-jermain-memorial-library>
<https://www.instagram.com/jjmlibrary/>
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