The effects of a recent executive order reducing the size and capacity of the Institute of Museum and Library Services have yet to be felt on the local level, but staff at the Hopkinton Public Library are concerned.

“It’s fair to say the consequences are far reaching,” said Danielle Cook, HPL’s reference and technology supervisor. 

“It looks bad already,” she added. “We don’t know how much worse it will get.”

Executive Order 14238, signed by President Donald Trump on March 14, called for the reduction of “elements of the Federal bureaucracy that the President has determined are unnecessary.” The IMLS was one of seven agencies affected by the executive order. All IMLS staff were placed on leave as of March 31.

Responding to these actions, the HPL published a letter on April 7 detailing the effects of the executive order and how it would impact Hopkinton residents. 

“The loss of the IMLS and the funding it provides will directly and indirectly affect the quality and variety of services that you as a library patron can access, regardless of your home library,” the letter states.

While money from the IMLS, for the most part, does not fund the library directly, the agency provides funding for grants and programs through the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners (MBLC) that affect library patrons across the state. The program likely to see the largest impact is publicly available databases accessed in both school and public libraries.

According to the HPL’s letter, 60% of annual database use comes from school libraries. Around 9 million texts were downloaded last year from databases such as Gale, ProQuest and Britannica Online.

HPL assistant library director Jak Miller noted that the information students access from these databases is “independent and verifiable,” allowing students to think independently and find data from a wide range of sources. 

“[The order] could further limit their ability to access information,” Miller explained.

Other statewide programs impacted include ComCat, which the MBLC administers. ComCat supports interlibrary loans across the state, and manages around 7,500 loans per month.

Digital loans also could be disrupted. HPL is part of the CW MARS library network, which benefits from IMLS funding. Users of Libby or other e-book and audiobook platforms supported by CW MARS could see a reduction in the number of available books, increases in wait times or other negative impacts.

The IMLS cuts additionally mean a pause on grant funding to libraries nationwide. According to the HPL’s letter, the library received a few grants last year from IMLS, the future of which remains uncertain.

A $20,000 grant from last year funded accessibility surveys, along with sensory material for the Children’s Department and sign language training for staff. Another $6,000 grant was used to complete a preservation assessment for the library’s local history collection.

“As of now, we do not know whether this funding will still be available and whether we will be able to make the necessary improvements to preserve our history,” the letter notes.

‘Difficult decisions’ could lie ahead

Cook said that the stopping of funding from the IMLS to the MBLC could result in changes to library operations in Hopkinton.

“If [MBLC] are forced to make cuts, we may have to pick up some services locally,” said Cook.

“We may be looking at a time in the future where we need to make some very difficult decisions,” added HPL director Nanci Hill.

Hill noted that the town funds library staff’s salaries and benefits “but not a ton else.” The rest of HPL’s funding comes through other sources, including trust funds, state aid and grants like those from the IMLS. 

“We don’t yet know how much funding is not going to come to the state,” said Hill.

HPL staff are working to evaluate what impact that lack of funding will have on the library. Cook explained that in a worse-case scenario, it is possible the library could reduce its operating hours, stop supporting its library of things or stop purchasing things like audiobooks.

“It’s really all dependent on how funding cuts go,” Cook said, explaining that the cuts could result in states or municipalities deciding to fund libraries less over the long term.

Cook was clear that the HPL would not have to shut its doors as a result of the executive order, and credited support from the community in keeping the library running. However, she stated that residents likely could feel a range of impacts depending on how they use library resources.

HPL responds quickly

The HPL is one of the first libraries in the state to speak up about Executive Order 14238 and its impacts. Hill said the response she and the library have received since sending a letter out to news outlets and on social media has been heartwarming. 

“Hopkinton loves its library,” said Hill. “We’re very fortunate for that.”

She also noted that other libraries have followed Hopkinton’s example since the letter was released. She pointed to the Rockport Public Library, which adapted the HPL letter for its own patrons.

“I think you’re going to be seeing more libraries step up,” Hill said.

As to why the HPL decided to speak out, Cook said it came down to the library’s security and support from residents and municipal leaders.

“As librarians in Hopkinton, we … have a certain amount of privilege,” said Cook, calling the advocacy effort an “opportunity to advocate for all libraries on that level.”

Cook also said that the executive order communicates a deprioritizing of libraries and the programming they offer.

“It does imply that libraries are not important and that people don’t deserve the services that libraries provide,” Cook explained.

The best outcome of these efforts is for federal funding to be restored and services to return to the same level as before, she added.

“We just want to be able to continue providing the services we were providing,” Cook said.

Efforts are underway already to combat the Trump administration’s order dismantling the IMLS. Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell joined a coalition of 20 attorneys general suing the administration over the executive order. Organizations including the American Library Association and the political action platform EveryLibrary have set up resources and petitions for Americans to take direct action.

HPL staff recommend residents contact their state and federal representatives to express their support for libraries. Cook noted that elected officials “are more likely to take action on this” and other issues if constituents make their voices heard. 

“It’s going to be a lot of calling your representatives, a lot of showing up,” said Cook.

“It’s a lot of work for us to stay where we are,” added Cook. “We can’t just sit and expect things not to go away.”

The letter is available to read on the HPL website, along with resources for contacting representatives and getting involved.