Library Funding Illegally Halted - Impact on Douglas & Hunt Libraries
Your voice is needed now. Libraries are the cornerstones of community.
“State Library Agencies and other grant recipients across the country began receiving official notices from the Acting Director of the Institute of Museum and Library Services terminating their grants, effective April 1, 2025.” Read more here.
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How will this impact North Canaan and Falls Village?
After examining the grants awarded to CT via federally appropriated funds, I was led to the Connecticut State Library. They publish a great resource here, which I encourage you to read. After reviewing, I reached out this morning to the CT State Library to gain a better understanding. Here was the reply I received (emphasis my own):
The LSTA funds statewide services to all libraries in CT including statewide delivery, statewide eBook platform, statewide service center which provides programs such as a Library Without Borders grant funded StoryWalk project that David M. Hunt benefited from directly, the CT Library for Accessible Books providing books for blind, visually impaired and tactile impaired, the Middletown Library Service Center which provides collection support, training for librarians, early literacy programs, statewide summer reading program support and much more. All CT libraries benefit from these statewide services.
The current administration is trying to strangle funding that directly benefits North Canaan and Falls Village through illegal impoundment of Congressionally-appropriated funds.
American Library Association (ALA)’s President Cindy Hohl spelled out the impact succinctly here in their statement on Monday, “Within months, if not weeks, local libraries will experience the impact of IMLS grant cancellations. Even now, state libraries are making hard choices about what their communities may have to do without: library loans that give rural residents more choices, or talking books for people with print disabilities, including many seniors? Or do they cut summer reading programs for kids? Discontinue programs for veterans or end services to small businesses?” Read more here.
Take Action Here and Make Your Voice Heard.
