What is the IMLS and why should we care if it is dismantled?

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Have you heard about the IMLS (Institute of Museum and Library Services) in the news lately? An Executive Order in mid-March ordered it be "eliminated to the maximum extent consistent with applicable law" and there has been a lot of conversation about it since. But this agency was relatively low profile politically until recently, so many people might not know much about it. 

On this episode we talk about what the IMLS is, what it does (and what it does not do), its history and mission, what our communities stand to lose with its elimination, and what you can do to support libraries and museums. You won't want to miss this important and relevant conversation! 

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Books we're reading in this episode:  

• Murder in Postscript by Mary Winters
• Tom Lake by Ann Patchett
• Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
• The Man Who Died Twice by Richard Osman (Thursday Murder Club #2)
• Brisingr by Christopher Paolini (The Inheritance Cycle #3) 
• Evvie Drake Starts Over by Linda Holmes

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Sources:

• Houpert, Cécile. 2019. “The New Role of Libraries: Places for All”. European Journal of Creative Practices in Cities and Landscapes 2 (2): 175–184. https://doi.org/10.6092/issn.2612-0496/10429 
• https://apnews.com/article/institute-doge-musk-museum-library-services-executive-order-trump-30ebde013ce3e9f97e2f4af72c869c0b
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Institute_of_Museum_and_Library_Services
• https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/STATUTE-79/pdf/STATUTE-79-Pg845.pdf
• https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/03/continuing-the-reduction-of-the-federal-bureaucracy/ 
• https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2025/mar/21/trump-attack-libraries-devastating
• https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2016/04/07/libraries-and-learning/

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How to help:

EveryLibrary petition: https://www.everylibrary.org/statementimls2025 

ALA Call on Congress to Protect IMLS phone script: https://a

Support the show

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Intro and outro music: "The Chase," by Aves.

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