The Trump administration has taken aim at the Institute of Museum and Library Services, which could affect federal funding that goes to the Hawaiʻi State Public Library System.
The Institute, which provides grant funding to museums and libraries across the country, put its entire staff on administrative leave on March 31 in response to a Trump executive order calling for several federal agencies to downsize.
The Hawaiʻi State Public Library System receives about $1.5 million through the Institute's Grants to States program.
HPR spoke with State Librarian Stacey Aldrich about what the uncertainty around federal funding could mean for the services we love and rely on at local libraries.
Grew up with Saturday morning story time? Taken a computer class lately or ever gone there for help with passports or taxes? What programs are in jeopardy? Aldrich said it may vary from state to state.
"If they choose not to fund, it means that we will not have $1.5 million available, which we use to create access to resources across all the islands,” Aldrich said. “We pay for access for everybody to newspapers like The New York Times, health and wellness access, legal forms, business development, online tools, interactive e-books that support literacy… It really affects our ability to provide access to these resources that otherwise people do not have because we cannot pay for it for every single library.”
The Hawaiʻi State Public Library System is composed of 51 branches across six islands and 12 in-school libraries. Aldrich said that if the federal money goes away, then the state's public libraries will be forced to make some difficult decisions until they find additional funding.
“We're not sure if we're going to get the rest of our funding for fiscal '24 and even though a budget was passed, an appropriation was made for IMLS (Institute of Museum and Library Services) by Congress and signed by the president for the federal fiscal year of 2025, we're not sure if we'll receive the money," Aldrich said. "So the administration could withhold the money, which would go against the separation of powers, because Congress makes the appropriation, and he's already signed off on the appropriation."
Hawaiʻi's libraries offer everyone free access to information and ideas. Aldrich explained that the money goes a long way to creating equal access and ensuring that the public has the resources that they need to be successful.
“I think it's about finding balance between all of the things that support our communities across the country through the federal government, and that balance has to be found," she told HPR. "I feel like that has been said many times, but it isn't one or the other. It's figuring out what you can support, and at what level can you support those things which have a powerful impact on the communities that are served.”
Email The Conversation at talkback@hawaiipublicradio.org to share what access to your local library means to you.
This interview aired on The Conversation on April 2, 2025. The Conversation airs weekdays at 11 a.m.
