The American Library Association (ALA), the largest library association in the world, and the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), the largest union representing museum and library workers, are challenging the Trump regime’s gutting of the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) – a non-partisan and independent agency dedicated to supporting and funding museums and libraries.
The lawsuit, filed in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia, seeks to block the dismantling of the IMLS as directed by a Trump Executive Order.
“Libraries play an important role in our democracy, from preserving history to providing access to government information, advancing literacy and civic engagement, and offering access to a variety of perspectives,” said American Library Association President Cindy Hohl. “These values are worth defending. We will not allow extremists to threaten our democracy by eliminating programs at IMLS and harming the children and communities who rely on libraries and the services and opportunities they provide.”
IMLS was first created and funded by Congress in 1996 and charged with supporting America’s libraries and museums. The agency has had bipartisan support throughout its history, having been reauthorized under the Clinton, George W. Bush, Obama, and Trump administrations.
IMLS is bound by laws requiring that the agency conduct certain activities to support libraries and report on important issues to Congress. The complaint argues that cutting programs at IMLS will violate the law by eliminating programs Congress has provided funding for and directed IMLS to undertake.
Shortly after the executive order was announced, the ALA sent a letter to the new IMLS acting director, warning not to cut any programs at the agency protected by law.
ALA and ASCMEare being represented by Democracy Forward and co-counsel Gair Gallo Eberhard LLP. This case continues Democracy Forward’s record of working with communities, parents, and libraries to defend the freedom to read.
That work has previously included efforts in Arkansas, where Democracy Forward represented a coalition of librarians, booksellers, and readers who successfully prevented portions of an Arkansas law that threatens to criminalize librarians and booksellers from taking effect and is asking a court to permanently stop the law from being enforced; in Florida, where Democracy Forward represented the Florida Education Association, Florida Freedom to Read Project, and Families for Strong Public Schools to challenge the DeSantis administration’s actions that shutter classroom libraries and undermine public education in Florida; and in Alabama, where Democracy Forward is representing a group of Alabama families and librarians with a broad array of political and religious backgrounds in a suit to stop policies approved by the library board that threaten to keep constitutionally protected books like To Kill a Mockingbird off of public library shelves.
You can read the full complaint here.
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