Library Advocacy
Institute of Museum and Library Services Funding Threatened
On March 14, President Trump issued an executive order requiring “the non-statutory components and functions of the following governmental entities shall be eliminated to the maximum extent consistent with applicable law”. This affected seven agencies, including the Institute for Museum and Library Services (IMLS).
IMLS is the primary funder of Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction's Division for Libraries and Technology, which supports public library technology, shared online resources and databases, annual reporting and training for libraries, statewide library support, and much more. It also funds the Library Services & Technology Act (LSTA), which benefits Sun Prairie Public Library directly as part of the South Central Library System in a variety of ways.
On March 31, 2025, all Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) employees were placed on administrative leave, with access to their work systems blocked. The President replaced the agency’s leadership with the Deputy Secretary of Labor. Without leadership and staff, it’s expected that library funding will be halted.
This action puts crucial services at risk across the country—and especially here in Wisconsin. Federal law requires IMLS to provide support to public libraries, but that support is currently only guaranteed through September 2025.
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How the Order is Impacting Libraries
"Understanding IMLS's 'Shall' and 'May' Language" (EveryLibrary Institute)
Wisconsin Libraries by the Numbers (Wisconsin Library Association - .pdf)
Tracking Federal Funding: The Effect on Wisconsin (Department of Public Instruction)
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Speak Up for Libraries
The Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction is asking library users to record short videos (30 seconds - 1 minute) that would speak to the importance of federal funding as it relates to public libraries (e.g., literacy, job search resources, interlibrary loan, eBooks/eAudio materials).
Here are some prompts to help get you started in submitting a video!
- What does your public library mean to you?
- What service or library program do you rely on regularly and why?
- What if that service or library program went away?
- How would that impact your life?
- How has the public library changed your life?
Contact U.S. Senators:
Contact Your Wisconsin Congressional Representative:
- 1st District - Bryan Steil
- 2nd District - Mark Pocan
- 3rd District - Derrick Van Orden
- 4th District - Gwen Moore
- 5th District - Scott Fitzgerald
- 6th District - Glenn Grothman
- 7th District - Thomas Tiffany
- 8th District - Tony Wied
The American Library Association has prepared a script you can use when calling on Congress to protect library funding.
Here's a link to the ALA's Fund Libraries Campaign which highlights local representatives from each state and their voting record on supporting library funding over the past few years.
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More ways to support the library:
Friends of Sun Prairie Public Library
The Friends is a {501 {c}{3} nonprofit organization that supplies the library with volunteers and funding for non-budgeted library programs and supplies. The primary focus of the Friends has been the management of the Read Before Bookstore.
Library Foundation
The Sun Prairie Public Library Foundation was founded in 1999 to manage donations and create an endowment for the Library. In 2017, the Foundation reached its next goal of $500,000 and is now able to give 100% of investment income to the library each year. These funds allow the library to go above and beyond its City funding to achieve exceptional levels of service, programming, and technology for the community. The Foundation is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization and operates independently of any government oversight. It is governed by articles of incorporation, by-laws, and an investment policy for the endowment.
Volunteers
Volunteers provide value-added services to the library and include positions within the Friends, Foundation, or Library Board. Volunteers assist staff by shelf reading, data entry, decorating, and more.