Federal Cuts to Libraries and Museums Restored by Court Action

A Nov. 21 court decision reinstated all the cuts to the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), a federal agency which acts as a conduit for funding for museums and libraries. The reversal is the result of a permanent injunction ordered by John J. McConnell, Chief Judge for the US District Court for the District of Rhode Island, in State of Rhode Island v. Trump.

The challenge initiated in April was brought by 21 states’ attorneys general to reverse the dismantling of IMLS. This agency was the target of a March executive order by the Trump administration. The same ruling also protected three other federal agencies from being dismantled: the Minority Business Development Agency (MBDA), the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service (FMCS), and the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness (USICH).

On December 3 a terse message appeared on the IMLS website it read: “Washington, DC– Upon further review, the Institute of Museum and Library Services has reinstated all federal grants. This action supersedes any prior notices which may have been received related to grant termination. Grantees should access the agency's electronic grants management system for further information.” The notice did not mention the court action.

According to a Dec. 4 article in Publishers Weekly, “Those whose grants were terminated learned on November 26 that their funding was restored. Via email, IMLS informed awardees that grants were reinstated, ‘whether you just began your work or were winding down when the termination notice arrived.’

“IMLS invited awardees to apply for extension requests as well as personnel changes,’ using wording that varied slightly depending on the grant. In boilerplate emails shared with PW, extensions lasting through March 31 and extensions of one year were offered. ‘I will adjust your reporting schedule and you will not need to complete any reports that were due during the time you were under a termination notice,’ one such email informed a recipient.

“The offer of an extension is attractive to some grantees, including the Council of State Archivists (CoSA), which had two grants terminated. Joy M. Banks, CoSA's executive director, said her council was considering their options.”

A Nov. 21 statement by the American Library Association (ALA) issued following the court decision explained, "the IMLS is the only federal agency dedicated to the nation’s libraries and museums. On March 14, President Trump issued Executive Order 14238, which directed the elimination of the agency. Subsequently, the Trump administration began mass termination of the agency’s grants, dismissed all members of the IMLS board, halted crucial data collection and research, and intended to lay off nearly all of the agency’s staff. These actions left IMLS unable to fulfill its duties required by federal law and interrupted library services across the country…

“(The) court ruling found that those actions were ‘arbitrary and capricious’ and contrary to federal law that established IMLS and directed it to carry out programs, including funding for libraries and museums across the nation. The ruling nullifies the Administration’s actions to dismantle IMLS and permanently prohibits the Administration from taking such actions in the future. The ruling has an immediate nationwide effect.”

While the ALA and other groups representing libraries, museums and public employees see the decision a major victory, advocacy groups emphasized that the situation remains fluid for several reasons. One is that potential appeals may be forthcoming. The Trump administration is likely to appeal the permanent injunction to a higher court, meaning the legal battle may continue. Another is Congressional funding is uncertain: the long-term fate of the IMLS still depends on future Congressional action. Advocacy groups like the ALA and the American Alliance of Museums (AAM) are urging the public to contact their representatives to ensure sustained funding for IMLS in the Fiscal Year 2026 budget.

An updated Dec. 7 story in the NY Times reported, “the IMLS was created in 1996 and reauthorized most recently in 2018 in legislation signed by President Trump during his first term. Last year, it issued nearly $270 million in grants for libraries, museums and archives in every state and territory, with the bulk supporting essential but unglamorous functions like database systems and collections management.

“Its largest program delivers roughly $160 million annually to state library agencies, which covers one third to one half of their budgets, according to the Chief Officers of State Library Agencies, an independent group representing library officials.”

Despite repeated efforts the Rare Book Hub was unable to contact any member of the IMLS staff, nor did representatives from either the ALA or the AAM respond to written inquiries for an update, other than to refer to prior November and early December statements on their web sites.

At this time RBH was unable to confirm that designated recipients have actually received their funds or that terminated staff have been rehired.

When news of the court decision broke in late last year (2025) there was considerable media interest in this story. Prior coverage is listed below:

NY Times, Dec. 5 updated Dec. 7 Gift article https://www.nytimes.com/2025/12/05/arts/imls-library-grants-trump.html?unlocked_article_code=1.8E8.XPXQ.Uu_7yYYsFUST&smid=url-share

Publishers Weekly, Dec. 4 https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/industry-news/libraries/article/99218-imls-restores-competitive-grant-funding.html?fbclid=IwY2xjawOf2SZleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZBAyMjIwMzkxNzg4MjAwODkyAAEes_cl4oVUog9u8QiznoS1GtkluLeclMTO0WnzKxlmxQN8m7E8_gPx_yNj3Dw_aem_iME3_pBL-W_-KDkkqGJ9Ew

NPR, Dec. 4

https://www.npr.org/2025/12/04/nx-s1-5633347/libraries-museums-federal-funding-imls-trump-cuts

ALA, Nov. 21

https://www.ala.org/news/2025/11/court-permanently-blocks-trumps-executive-order-dismantle-federal-agency-americas

Hyperallergic, Dec. 9

https://hyperallergic.com/museum-grants-terminated-by-trump-reinstated-after-court-order/

AFSCME (American Federation of State County and Municipal Employees), Dec. 9

https://afscme31.org/news/afscme-backed-lawsuit-forces-reinstatement-federal-museum-and-library