Spotlights

Executive Orders Regarding Institute of Museum and Library Services & National Endowment for the Humanities

Apr 7, 2025 | General News

You may be aware that on March 31, the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) was largely eliminated by an Executive Order of the President. For decades, IMLS has provided grants to the Kansas State Library and those funds pay for Talking Books for the vision impaired, Summer Reading Program assistance for public libraries, ShareIT software for interlibrary loan and access to digital books and educational databases that are used by thousands of Kansans.

The total cost for all of these services in 2024 was $2.1 million dollars, or $.71 per Kansas resident.

We have also learned that the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) has also been suspended. This action directly affects Humanities Kansas, which in turn, affects some programs we host here at our library.

 
For us, this means that we will no longer be able to host Talk About Literature in Kansas book discussions after the current one is done, nor host any special programs or exhibits that Humanities Kansas has traditionally offered. For now, their Speakers Bureau, which we consistently use as part of our regular programming, remains funded.
 

Please contact our U.S. Senators and U.S. Representative to express your opinion on this matter.

U.S. Senator Jerry Moran, Washington D.C. office: 202-224-6521; Olathe office: 913-393-0711; email form: https://www.moran.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/e-mail-jerry

U.S. Senator Roger Marshall, Washington D.C. office: 202-224-4774; Kansas City, KS office: 913-549-1570;
email form: https://www.marshall.senate.gov/contact/contact-form/

U.S. Representative, 2nd District, Derek Schmidt, Washington D.C. office: 202-224-3121; Topeka office: 785-205-5253; email form: https://schmidt.house.gov/contact