Libraries face federal funding reductions

KENT — The effects of federal cutbacks are beginning to trickle down to the local level. Last week, area librarians were alarmed to learn that programs important to rural populations, such as the interlibrary loan service provided through Connecticut State Library, were abruptly defunded effective April 1.

The Connecticut State Library was notified by the federal Institute of Museum and Library Services, which oversees grants to states, that its 2024-25 federal grant award was terminated. The grant was scheduled to cover the current federal fiscal year ending Sept. 30.

The entire IMLS staff, a relatively small federal agency with around 70 employees, was placed on administrative leave for up to 90 days after a brief meeting between DOGE staff and IMLS leadership.

Connecticut was among the first three states to receive notification of termination, and State Attorney General William Tong joined a lawsuit with 20 other states opposing the elimination of IMLS. The State Library is also working with the Governor’s office, the Office of Policy Management and other state agencies regarding this situation.

Kent Library Director Sarah Marshall, who joined six other Northwest Corner librarians in decrying the federal action, said it is not clear what the full impact will mean, but said it does not mean that local libraries will close their doors. “These are not funds we use to stay open,” she said. “They provide services to our patrons.”

The State Library had $2.2 million to underwrite services such as a van to deliver interlibrary loan books for free. “We process about 24 books through interlibrary loan three times each week,” Marshall said. “Without the van, it costs $4 to $6 a book to mail them. That could amount to $1,800 a year and there is no way to replace that on an individual basis.”

Another service affected would be the e-rate program, which provides funds for schools and libraries to improve their broadband access, saving 76 Connecticut libraries $497,221 in fiscal year 2024.

Marshall said the library’s internet service is fiber optic and expensive. The loss of the federal funding could increase annual expenses by $6,000. “A lot of people use our Internet,” she said, and they are not just families who don’t have home access, but also visitors and hikers passing through town who want to check their email.

“Those are the things Kent will feel most, but there are other things as well,” Marshall said, including funding for summer reading and enrichment programs, professional development for librarians, circulation of audio and braille books to more than 5,000 patrons, including 316 veterans, and the statewide eBook platform which provides to a collection of 50,000 books, periodicals and databases.

“Right now, there are more questions than answers,” said Marshall, who noted that some of the programs were authorized through state statutes. “We don’t know if the state will step in to provide funding or not,” she said.

State Attorney General William Tong was quick to join a coalition of 20 other states in challenging the federal action. “We had to sue to stop Trump from defunding our schools and cancer cures, from defunding energy assistance and vaccines, from defunding disaster relief and the police. Now, we have to sue again to stop him from defunding summer reading programs and audiobooks for disabled veterans,” said Tong in a statement.

Beyond the scope of state funding for services, Marshall said there could be impact from tariffs if they are ultimately imposed. On April 2, Trump signed an executive order imposing a minimum 10 percent tariff on all U.S. imports effective April 5. Higher tariffs on imports from 57 countries, ranging from 11 to 50%, were scheduled to take effect on April 9 but were almost immediately suspended for 90 days for all countries except China.

The library is planning a $6.8 million expansion this year and a lot of the equipment needed would come from Asia. “We are estimating it could cost 15 to 20% more,” she said, “and we don’t have 15 to 20% more. That’s another sticky wicket.”

Still, she said there have yet to be any changes to the plans approved last year for the expansion. “It’s business as usual,” she concluded. “We don’t want to react so strongly to something that hasn’t happened yet. We can’t throw away what we have been doing when we don’t know what the outcome will be.”

Kathryn Boughton is the editor of Kent Dispatch.