Statement on Federal Funding Cuts for Libraries

The Board of Trustees of the Portage Lake District Library (PLDL) wants to express its deep concern about the March 14, 2025 federal executive order mandating funding cuts for the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), which supports vital services for libraries nationwide. These cuts would impact the Michigan Electronic Library (MeL and MeLCat) – a centralized catalog and resource-sharing service (inter-library loan) created to lend and share materials among all types of libraries in Michigan. MeL databases are used extensively by academic, school and public libraries and their patrons. In the past fiscal year alone, more than 3,784 items were lent by the Portage Lake District Library and Hancock School Public Library through MeL, and more than 3,393 items were borrowed from other libraries. These resources are especially important for rural and smaller libraries like ours.

We strongly object to these funding cuts and support the Michigan Library Association (MLA) and the American Library Association (ALA) in imploring President Trump to rescind this executive order. Our goal, like the MLA’s and ALA’s, is to ensure that the IMLS continues to fund worthy and essential library, museum, and archival programs that benefit our community.

Approved by the PLDL Board of Trustees on April 30, 2025

Posted on May 2, 2025 in Library News. Bookmark the permalink.