Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS)

In 2025, the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) and the American Library Association (ALA) filed a lawsuit to prevent the Trump administration from eliminating the IMLS through executive action. By May 2025, a temporary stay was put on the executive order during the court hearing, and by April 2026 both groups reached a settlement, and the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) agreed that the government would reverse planned cuts and restore previously terminated grants.   ^{2  4  5}

Background

The Institute of Museum and Library Services is a federal agency that provides financial support to the libraries and museums in the United States.

It was created by the United States Congress in 1996 with the mission of supporting America’s museums and libraries. Its existence had been reauthorized under the George W. Bush, Obama, and the first Trump administrations.

Financials and Funding

As a federal agency, the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) receives its annual budget through the “annual federal appropriations process” by working with the White House Office of Management and Budget and later having Congress pass appropriations bills containing agreed funding proposals.  ⁶

In 2024, the IMLS received $266 million in grants and research funding for the purpose of “library and museum staffing, infrastructure, educational programs, and equity initiatives.” ^{7  6}

In 2023, the group also provided funding to New York State community initiatives including funding state school and library systems, offering nearly $500,000 to the University of Buffalo, and contributing another $100,000 to the Michigan Street African American Heritage Corridor.  ⁷

Second Trump Administration

In March 2025, the second Trump administration issued an executive order to reduce the size and scale of several government agencies including the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS).  ⁸ In April 2025, the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) and the American Library Association (ALA) filed a lawsuit to prevent the IMLS’ dismantling, working with Democracy Forward (DF) to file a motion for a preliminary injunction.  ^{9 10} By May 2025, a federal judge filed a restraining order against the executive order and would allow the agency to operate while the case went to court.  ⁹

By April 2026, both AFSCME and the ALA reached a settlement agreement with the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) preventing the agency’s dismantling while reversing all proposed cuts and restoring previously terminated grants.  ^{4 5}