A left-leaning federal agency that provides taxpayer funded grants for libraries across Alaska and around the nation has been essentially shut down after DOGE placed the entire staff on administrative leave.
A March 21 statement from the American Federation of Government Employees Local 3403 explained what happened at the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS).
“Earlier today, the Institute of Museum and Library Services notified the entire staff that they are being placed on administrative leave immediately. The notification followed a brief meeting between DOGE staff and IMLS leadership,” the statement noted. “Employees were required to turn in all government property prior to exiting the building, and email accounts are being disabled today. Museums and libraries will no longer be able to contact IMLS staff for updates about the funding they rely upon.”
Over the years, the IMLS has dumped hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars into libraries and museums. Many of these grants funded diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives, LGBTQ projects and so-called “anti-racism” ideology.
Alaska’s libraries and museums have raked in millions from the IMLS, including funding for highly controversial projects.
In 2022, the Anchorage Museum bagged a $50,000 IMLS grant to hire a staff member to “collaborate with and support communities of color and LGBTQ communities, as well as a curator to work with communities on climate change and climate justice.”
ALASKA WATCHMAN DIRECT TO YOUR INBOX
Last year, IMLS awarded $1.27 million to the Alaska State Library which disperses local grants across the state. This federal influx will likely be ending as part of a broader effort by the Trump administration to reduce federal spending and begin whittling away at the nation’s $36.2 trillion debt. To date, DOGE reports that it has saved American taxpayers $140 billion. The short-term goal is to save $1 trillion by September.
“In the absence of staff, all work processing 2025 applications has ended,” the IMLS statement noted. “The status of previously awarded grants is unclear. Without staff to administer the programs, it is likely that most grants will be terminated.”
The IMLS was one of seven agencies targeted for reduction in a March 14 Trump executive order which eliminated IMLS “to the maximum extent consistent with applicable law.” Over the past year, the IMLS has awarded nearly $270 million in grants to various cultural institutions.
15 Comments
The party of small government can only function as long as it keeps your minds as small as possible. That’s why they’re targeting libraries and public broadcasting.
Winning!
When libraries and public broadcasting went hard ideological left they lost the culture.
Joel, did you post this as an action alert for thoughtful Alaskan families, like they should petition the deciders to KEEP funding for our beloved libraries? If not, are you arguing that libraries are a waste of taxpayer money?
The only “benefit” for closing libraries is that it reduces the intelligence of voters. Less educated people tend to vote conservative. Is that a valuable outcome for you?
You hone and strop the edges of your intolerant Christian nationalism to the detriment of all Alaskans. It’s vile.
Manny, you sure are bigot.
When is the last time you checked a book out of the library? How many people visit the library per day, not counting the people seeking a warm place to sleep or a phone charger? Does our Anchorage library actually contribute to the education of children or adults? If so, how?
You are SO courageous, Joel, taking on these librarians.
The world needs more men of steel like you. Who know what the big problems are, who are willing to fight against educators and librarians and their Masonic allies.
“educators and librarians” chose marxist indoctrination over learning. They are no longer fit for purpose and need to be replaced root and branch. And they are.
To be clear, my comment was meant as satire. Joel says it “takes courage to report” this stuff, which is just cheerleading the richest, most powerful people in the world picking on the weakest.
Contrary to low-IQ right-wing memes, the Bolsheviks never really used the term “useful idiot.” But if they had, it would have been a term of serision for for these AW goofballs who constantly distract from the big issues facing mankind.
This article is typical of anti-government articles where only the very few “woke” programs are highlighted and everything else is ignored. Besides funding public libraries (rural libraries, in particular, are greatly aided by IMLS funds) and small museums throughout the country, IMLS also pays for things like the digitization of historic resources, the platforms for the presentation of those resources and the salaries of IT departments at state libraries and archives who maintain those resources. I would think an award-winning journalist would want to tell the whole story instead of sharing just a fraction of the story so it fits neatly into the “DOGE is great” narrative.
And the dumbing down of the United States continues. We used to pride ourselves as being on the forefront of the Advancing Modern World. Now we are devolving into narcissism, greed, and disinformation.
Amazing. The intent is to reduce the burden on tax payers by eliminating all this LGBTQ-GFY crap. If it’s so darn important, to the small minority of supporters, then why don’t they just support this LGBTQ-GFY agenda out of their own pockets, why should I have to fund it? Besides, with the internet and AI libraries are going extinct, as is printed news. P.S., A majority of Americans feel NPR & PBS should not be funded by taxpayers either.
Steve: “ New polling from Pew found 24 percent of surveyed Americans say the U.S. government should not continue to send taxpayer dollars to NPR and PBS, while a larger slice, 43 percent, say federal funding levels to those outlets should stay the same.”
wth is climate justice. utterly ridiculous.
not to mention the lgb silliness.
go trump.
my guess – libraries will close, or hours greatly reduced, no new books……sad day for AK children