How will IMLS cuts affect Manchester District Library and the Clinton Township Public Library?
Manchester District Library and Clinton Township Public Library react to announcement of IMLS cuts.
by Sara Swanson
Recently, President Trump announced in an Executive Order that he is making cuts to the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), the federal agency that supports libraries and museums across the United States. While Michigan libraries’ operating budgets are covered primarily through local millages, they and the state’s museums collectively receive millions annually to fund specific programs and services. In addition to individual libraries receiving more than $2 million per year in grants, about $4.8 million annually goes toward Library of Michigan services, including the statewide loan system known as Michigan eLibrary Catalog, or MeLCat, which is relied heavily upon by smaller and rural libraries. You may be wondering how these cuts will affect our local libraries.
Manchester District Library (MDL) director Kathy Dimond reports that they have heard from worried patrons since the announcement, asking whether or not our library will continue functioning. She states, “In light of this, we wanted to reassure our patrons that the library is here to stay.”
She explained that MDL is primarily funded through millages from the City of Manchester, Manchester Township, Bridgewater Township, and Freedom Township. These millages are put up for a vote every 10 years, and they were last approved in all four districts in November 2024. MDL neither receives nor applies for federal grants and funding, and so the cuts will not have a significant impact on the services they provide. Additionally, MDL operates within The Library Network (TLN), a cooperative organization that serves many of the libraries throughout southeast Michigan and provides MDL both with its primary catalog and transportation for interlibrary loans, in addition to the system used to check out books.
Dimond states, “Despite this, it is important to inform the public that there are some services that will be impacted by the cuts.” While MDL turns to TLN first for interlibrary loans, when no library in the system has a particular item, MeLCat is the system that they turn to. She added that the Michigan Activity Pass (MAP), which allows you to use your library card to get free tickets to museums, admission to parks, and even free overnights at campgrounds, is also at risk.
“What we want to stress here is that though we may lose access to MeLCat and MAP, nothing is certain right now,” she stated. “MeLCat’s future is secure until at least September, and a lot can happen in five months, making predictions essentially useless. It is possible that the State of Michigan will intervene to save MeLCat or that Congress will pass a bill to save library funding, preventing the loss of any services. It should also be noted that the IMLS was founded and has been routinely renewed since its inception in 1996 with bipartisan support. It has always been cosponsored by several members of both parties, and President Trump even signed its reauthorization into law in 2018. At this time, no guarantees can be made one way or the other about the future of IMLS funding. Whether or not the IMLS is provided for, the mission of Manchester District Library remains the same and we are committed to fulfilling the needs of our community.”
Because MDL collects their millage by the township, and some of Bridgewater Township and Manchester Township are in the Clinton School District and have residents that may be more likely to use the Clinton Township Public Library (CTPL), CTPL and MDL split some of the library millage collected. Because of this, in addition to using MDL, Manchester and Bridgewater township residents are eligible for CTPL library cards. Additionally, Manchester and Bridgewater residents are welcome to use CTPL resources. Likewise, Village of Clinton and Clinton Township residents are eligible for MDL library cards and welcome to use all MDL resources.
While MDL’s message is to not give in to worry and despair and that MDL is here to stay, CTPL’s outlook is bleaker. CTPL is one of the small rural libraries that the loss of federal funding is most likely to impact. Unlike MDL, they are reliant on MeLCat for interlibrary loans. CTPL also states that without IMLS funding, the library may have to scale back or eliminate Story Time, Book Clubs, and Teen Time; free internet access, search assistance, and computer training; the Summer Reading Program; and even possibly their hours of operation.
“The public library is a lifeline to Clinton residents, providing access to books, educational resources, technology, and crucial community programs,” said Mary Gallup, Clinton Township Public Library Director. “This funding loss is devastating for our community that relies on the library to provide these services free of charge. It is going to impact everyone, from students who depend on the library for research and learning to job seekers and small businesses that rely on the library for access to computers, printing, and faxing.”
Gallup states that CTPL is exploring alternative funding options, including state-level support and private donations but meanwhile encourages contacting your state and federal policymakers to protect the vital role the library plays in the community. She goes on to share that the contact information for the congressperson for the district CTPL is located in, Tim Walberg, who can be reached at https://walberg.house.gov/contact/offices. If you are a Washtenaw County resident, your congressperson is Debbie Dingell, who can be reached at https://debbiedingell.house.gov/contact/.
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