Happy National Library Workers Day & Update on IMLS/Federal Funding
Thank you for doing what you do for libraries!
Hello Wisconsin Library Friends!
It is National Library Week and today is National Library Workers Day. Unfortunately, what is typically a day of celebration is much more complicated this year.
As you are likely aware, an executive order was signed on March 14 to, “reduce the performance of Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) statutory functions and associated personnel to the minimum presence and function required by law.” The IMLS is the federal agency that provides Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) Grants to States funding, which the Library Services Team at the DPI relies on to function and meet statutory requirements. Grants to States funding is authorized by Congress through the Museum and Library Services Act of 2018 and IMLS is statutorily required to disperse these funds. However, in the past week IMLS staff have been placed on administrative leave and/or terminated and 3 states, California, Washington, and Connecticut, have been notified they will not receive this guaranteed LSTA Grants to States funding.
In response, Wisconsin has joined with 18 states in a lawsuit against the federal administration to challenge the legality of these actions. Eliminating or reducing this funding would severely harm the DPI Library Services Team’s ability to carry out the requirements set forth in state statute, to say nothing of the damage it would do to the far-reaching services currently provided to the state on a daily basis.
The Library Services Team can trace its history back to 1895 with the founding of the Wisconsin Free Library Commission (WFLC). Over the years, the WFLC supported soldiers fighting in World War I by providing in-person library service on the front lines, established and operated Wisconsin’s first bookmobiles, and funded multi-county public library demonstrations that eventually led to the creation of the Public Library Systems still in service today.
The activities of our current Library Services Team are no less ambitious. Our program staff make it possible for Wisconsin residents to borrow materials not available in their local library through WISCAT interlibrary loan. They provide access to licensed, trustworthy electronic resources through BadgerLink. They archive state government documents to preserve our state history through the Wisconsin Digital Archive. Our staff act as subject matter experts, serving on statewide committees, workgroups, and project teams. Their expertise and statewide view improve library services in every community throughout the state.
Our staff are an incredible resource to librarians, providing consultation on specific areas such as workforce development, school library planning, games and learning, youth services, literacy for all ages, public library administration, digital resources, resource sharing, and so much more. Our staff collect data annually on libraries and assist local librarians in accessing and using the data locally to ensure community needs are being met and keeping library staff and boards informed about library services. Additionally, staff carry out a robust grant program providing funds for activities such as statewide professional learning for librarians, scholarships for library staff to attend conferences they otherwise would not be able to afford, technology projects, supplemental funds to improve delivery service, paid teen internships at public libraries, and more.
Our grant program has provided Wisconsin libraries with a place to pilot innovative new ideas. LSTA funds were the initial investment for the Wisconsin Public Library Consortium Digital Library to provide a statewide eBook collection that sees 9 million checkouts per year. Recollection Wisconsin was supported by LSTA funds and Library Services Team staff expertise in its earliest days. Currently, a statewide data dashboard is being piloted to help reduce barriers to librarians in making data driven decisions and articulating the value of the service they provide to their communities, especially in small and rural libraries.
All of this and more is at risk if LSTA Grants to States funding is eliminated. 130 years of tradition is at stake. We know library service everywhere will suffer if IMLS is dismantled. This National Library Week, know that our team appreciates all the support we have received over the past few weeks. Also know that we stand with you in solidarity. We will work together to ensure valuable library services are available to Wisconsin for the next century.
Thank you for being a library worker. Thank you for caring about making our library community better. And thank you for all the work you do to ensure your library is making a difference in your community.
Ben Miller
Director of Library Services
Contact: benjamin.miller@dpi.wi.gov
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