Joint Letter Urging Congress to Fund IMLS

MiALA joined a coalition of associations representing Michigan's libraries, museums, and historical societies and sent a joint letter to Congressional leaders urging them to support funding the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) in FY 2026.

Without IMLS support, schools, libraries, historical organizations, universities, and community colleges would face major challenges in sustaining these programs, especially those with limited local funding. The economies of scale that make these statewide services affordable would disappear. For example, the current cost of MeL database subscriptions statewide is $2,481,885 annually. If each institution were to purchase those resources independently, the total cost would skyrocket to $66,910,870. Michigan residents depend on these programs for education, career development, and access to reliable information. Continued federal funding through IMLS is essential to ensuring equal access for all.

URL for further information
https://mla.memberclicks.net/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1816:joint-letter-urging-congress-to-fund-imls---news---michigan-library-association&catid=94:fund-libraries&Itemid=471