Dear Friends,
I’ll be heading out of town on Wednesday, 3/26, and I want to thank the Skidompha Board and the wonderful staff here for their generous patience while I am away. There are no finer people to be in charge, and I know Skidompha is in the best hands. Our newsletters will continue apace, with yet-to-be-determined staff taking over authorial duties. I look forward to their notes. And spring will hopefully be in full swing when I get back?
Next, thank you, thank you, thank you so very much to all of you who have reached out to you representatives in response to the recent Executive Order targeting funding of the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS). Your actions and notes of support mean so much to me, to Skidompha, and to libraries in general. For a refresher, please see the American Library Association’s FAQ regarding this executive order.
While I am gone, please, I ask everyone to continue calling their representatives. It is imperative that we maintain the momentum. Our representatives need to hear from us–and continue to hear from us on this issue. If you are a library supporter and have not called yet, please consider doing so. If you have already called, thank you! Can I convince you to call again?
Per my prior unscheduled email from last week, IMLS will have level funding through FY25, but the order puts its future in significant doubt. Losing the IMLS would be catastrophic to the Maine Library Association (MLA) and to libraries across Maine. I will quote the MLA here.
The Maine Library Association Executive Board strongly disagrees with this action. The elimination of IMLS would negatively impact all Mainers who rely on library services. Federal funding is critical for the Maine State Library to provide important statewide resources and services. In FY24, the last fully appropriated grant, Maine State Library received $1,526,754 in Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) funds. Each state receives federal funding through LSTA, and the overall ask for FY25 is $214 million. This would include roughly the same amount for Maine as in FY24…
Federal funding in Maine goes toward:
- Free gigabit internet to 243 public libraries through the Maine School and Library Network
- Supporting interlibrary loan service to over 260 libraries statewide, ensuring Maine residents have access to more than 10 million items
- Providing e-books and e-audiobooks to all Mainers through CloudLibrary
- Providing those who are blind or visually impaired with large print and recorded books mailed to the patron for free
- Delivering professional development training to library staff through consultations and workshops
- Support for online databases offered through the Digital Maine Library
- Providing the Books by Mail program to homebound individuals and Maine residents who live in rural areas without a local library
- Support for Maine InfoNet for technology support and training for shared library catalogs statewide, building a strong connection for resource sharing statewide, and Digital Maine Library tech support and maintenance.
While most library funding in Maine comes from local sources, federal dollars are crucial in building equity by providing resources to libraries with smaller budgets. Federal funding for libraries accounts for just 0.003% of the overall federal budget, and this incredibly modest investment ensures that all communities have access to essential library services regardless of local funding capacity. Libraries are open to all, and services are well used. In 2023, there were over one million visits to public libraries in Maine. MLA Statement about IMLS
Again, please support your local library and contact your representatives and ask them to push hard to reverse this executive order.
Be well,
Matthew
Matthew Graff
Executive Director
Skidompha Public Library