The main branch of the Cleveland Public Library. Graphic by Zach Perrier.
Zach Perrier
Viewpoints Editor
This past summer, I worked at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Library and Archives in Cleveland. Saying “opportunity of a lifetime” might be an understatement — the internship was always challenging, always engaging and always interesting. By the internship’s end, I helped create nine finding aids for the museum, from the personal papers of a journalist to over 600 cassette tapes of R.E.M. concerts. I even helped to open a new exhibit at the archives which highlighted the fandom of rock music in the area and connected many residents to their past.
In the notes of every finding aid, I was tasked to add the same ending: “Collection processed through a Museums for America grant from the IMLS.” At the time of adding that, I did not think much of the grant. But the Institute of Museum and Library Services, or IMLS, is a vital source of federal funding for libraries and museums across the United States.
In the 2024 fiscal year, the IMLS fund gave $7.6 million in grants to museums and libraries in the state of Ohio alone. In the past few years, the fund has benefited not only museums but also institutions like the Holden Arboretum and the Cincinnati Zoo.
The Museums for America fund gave the Rock Hall the funding to ensure that people, from university professors to writers of Rolling Stone to community members, could continue to enjoy and research the rich history of music. On top of that, the IMLS fund allowed interns outside of Ohio to see the rich museum systems the state has to offer, invigorating the state economy.
Last month, President Donald Trump signed an executive order that sought to downsize IMLS among other crucial government programs. About two weeks later, the IMLS staff was put on administrative leave, leaving the vital program in complete limbo as the administration tears through the fabric of educational resources in the United States. Coupled with the dismantling of the Department of Education and the lampooning of Lonnie Bunch’s efforts at the Smithsonian, the move to break down IMLS falls within the Trump administration’s efforts to undermine truth and the joy of learning.
And the Ohio government, in lockstep with the recklessness of the Trump administration, has made the incredibly unwise decision to propose cutting the Public Library Fund here in Ohio. The cut would drastically reduce library funding, a head-scratcher when considering the fact that, in fiscal year 2022, Ohio was third in the country for most library visits per capita, a staggering statistic considering the 11.8 million that live in the Buckeye State.
As many of you probably already know, public libraries are not just books on shelves. They educate and provide vital resources to communities who at times are the most vulnerable and susceptible to both a lack of resources and disinformation. Libraries are not just for hoity-toity bookworms to check out novels, but a public space where people of all walks of life, all levels of income and education, come together to learn and grow, free of charge. The downsizing of the IMLS fund and drastic cuts to public libraries would upend reading programs, research databases (which are especially expensive) and interlibrary loans. Archives and museums would lose access to fund work from their own staff and interns, hindering research in both STEM and the humanities.
Public libraries and museums are bulwarks against a rapidly changing America. As companies have gone up in smoke, as recessions and pandemics have racked the American economy, the public libraries, museums and archives of this country still stand. Their purpose has been to provide access to knowledge and education and to preserve culture and history for generations to come. This administration and the Ohio state government seem to want to wish away centuries of progress that aim to ensure all Americans’ ability to learn equally.
As someone who will be going to grad school for a master’s in library science, these stark changes affect myself personally. But the tears in the longstanding systems of public libraries and archives will only feed alternative channels of disinformation and hate as the norm. Public library use is still going strong as libraries provide access to ebooks and a wealth of different services. Sadly, our government has decided that only themselves and their image is a greater priority than equitable education.
With tomorrow being the last day of National Library Week, I strongly encourage everyone to support their public library in a time when both public libraries and research libraries are vulnerable and targeted. I also strongly encourage you all to write to those representatives aiming to cut library funds and share your concerns, as I did when President Trump signed that executive order last month.
But, be warned; I never got a response back.
