April 1, 2025
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Federal Executive Order Diminishes Services at Local Public Libraries
For twenty years, Michigan residents have enjoyed use of the Michigan Electronic Library (MeL). This critical library service and adjacent programs are about to be eliminated due to a federal Executive Order (EO).
The EO signed by President Trump on March 14, 2025 seeks to eliminate the federal Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), the nation’s only federal agency for America’s libraries. On March 31, nearly all staff at IMLS was placed on administrative leave and, as a result, all processing of grants has been suspended and are “ultimately likely to be cancelled,” according to the American Library Association. IMLS dollars routed to Michigan fund MeL, as well as a state-wide interlibrary loan service called MeLCat. If IMLS funding is eliminated, local library users will have less access to books and other library materials.
“As an art teacher, MeLCat has been a massive help in saving money and finding valuable children’s books for my art projects,” Michelle of Harrison Township said. “Instead of buying expensive books for my students, I borrow them for free from libraries all over the state. This has allowed me to use a variety of books that fit the themes of my lessons, helping me and my district save money and support our local library. This resource has been a blessing in my classroom and for other teachers as well. If MeLCat is dismantled, I will again have to spend money out of my pocket on materials for my students.”
In 2024, the MeLCat program saw Michigan libraries lend over one million books and other materials that are not locally available. Through MeL, students and other residents last year accessed over 19 million electronic articles, journals and other online resources to do homework, research, prepare for tests and more. Residents also benefited from MeL’s authoritative sources on education, medicine, business, and history, among other topics that help people make informed decisions.
While the majority of revenue for public libraries in Michigan comes from local property taxes, the most significant impact of the potential loss of IMLS funding could be the elimination of MeL and MeLCat.
In Michigan, these federally funded programs provide a hard return on investment of $27 per tax dollar. This means for every $1 invested in libraries across the state, Michiganders see $27 in received value.
MeLCat is a priceless resource at the Harrison Township Public Library,” said Library Director, Melissa Goins. “We are a small library in 3900 square feet. We can’t possibly have all of the resources our community needs in our space and HTPL users regularly request materials from other libraries across the state. We receive MeLCat deliveries 5 days a week and process 6,000 requests per year. I’m not sure what the community and folks like Michelle will do if MeL and MeLCat resources are no longer available.”
You can read more about the impact of the elimination of IMLS in a press release from the Michigan Department of Education, published on March 20, 2025 and available here: https://www.michigan.gov/mde/news-and-information/press-releases/2025/03/20/michigan-library-users-will-be-harmed-by-order-to-abolish-federal-agency
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