Federal agency responsible for library and museum funding gets a visit from DOGE

President Trump has appointed Keith E. Sonderling as the new acting director of the Institute of Museum and Library Services.

The IMLS is an independent federal agency responsible for awarding grant funding to many museums and libraries across the country. Last week, President Trump issued an executive order calling for the IMLS’ elimination. According to AFGE Local 3403, the union representing workers at the IMLS, Sonderling entered the lobby of the building Thursday morning along with a team of security and a “handful of DOGE staff,” and was sworn-in.

“I am committed to steering this organization in lockstep with this Administration to enhance efficiency and foster innovation,” Sonderling wrote in a press release. NPR has reached out to the President’s Committee on the Arts and Humanities for more information, but did not immediately hear back.

While libraries are mostly funded by city and county taxes, federal funding helps pay for things like workforce training, supports pilot programs, and bolsters basic library services such as computer and internet access in rural libraries. The IMLS says it awarded $266 million in grants and research last year.

Jeff Jankowksi, president of Hoopla Digital, which helps library users access eBooks, music, movies and audiobooks, sent NPR a statement that warns “without necessary funding, it’s likely that many libraries may be forced to scale back digital services, or in some cases, eliminate access entirely.”

Following President Trump’s executive order last week, the American Alliance of Museums, a group which advocates for museums, issued a statement saying: “There is no efficiency argument when IMLS represents just 0.0046% of the federal budget, while museums generate $50 billion in economic impact.”

A spokesperson for AFGE Local 3403, the union representing workers at IMLS, said Sonderling “appears committed to following federal law,” but that it expects most employees will be placed on administrative leave over the weekend. “It remains unclear whether funding for existing grantees will continue, and whether new grants will be available in the future.”