IMLS Update

On March 14, President Trump issued an Executive Order to eliminate the functions of several government entities, including the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), to the maximum extent allowable by law.

What does this mean for the Wayne Public Library? Most of our funding comes from local property tax millages, not federal sources. That means we expect our overall budget to stay fairly steady over the next several years; we don’t expect personnel cuts or reduced hours.

However, in Michigan, the following library services are funded in large part from federal sources and are at risk of being substantially reduced or eliminated if there are cuts to IMLS:

• Interlibrary Loan through MeLCat: physical books and other items are shared between 435 Michigan libraries.

• MeL eContent: Access to electronic databases including online encyclopedias, test prep, auto repair, genealogy, and much more.

• Michigan Activity Pass: A program that provides free or reduced-rate access to cultural and recreation sites across the state.

As we learn more about how this Executive Order will impact your library we will keep you posted.