Every Wednesday, David Ellis spends his evening at the Tempe Public Library, volunteering in a buddy-reading program with kids.
Ellis, a senior studying computer science, is a board member for Page Turners at ASU, an organization that connects college students to elementary school kids through one-on-one mentorship and reading. With Page Turners, Ellis said he has been able to help kids, connect to the community and rediscover books that he enjoyed when he was younger.
Though Page Turners relies on volunteers and is not funded by the Tempe Public Library, Ellis worries that similar library programs might not be available in the future.
An executive order was signed in March to reduce institutions that the government deemed unnecessary, cutting funding for the Institute of Museum and Library Services and placing their entire staff on leave.
The IMLS provides federal grants to states across the country, which then distribute these funds to local libraries. Typically, this money goes toward special programs like summer reading groups, databases or internet services. Without the IMLS, smaller local and rural libraries that depend on federal funding for these programs will be at risk.
Earlier this month, Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes and 20 other attorneys general sued the Trump administration for dismantling library and museum funding.
Ellis said it is still unclear what exactly will change at the Tempe Public Library, but that "any future planning calls are cut off."
"(One of the librarians) has put in a grant for a teen makerspace recently, but that won't even get processed," he said.
Though most IMLS funding goes toward local and tribal libraries, public universities benefit from federal grants too. ASU received hundreds of thousands of dollars nearly every year from 2020-24 from various national programs, according to the Museum Association of Arizona. These grants went toward projects and collections that the University was collaborating on, such as the American Latino Museum Internship and Fellowship Initiative.
ASU Art Museum did not respond to requests for comment.
A spokesperson for the Arizona Library Association said in a statement that most libraries will be able to stay open without IMLS funding. Finding grants for any other programs through other philanthropic organizations is possible, but difficult.
The spokesperson said the Arizona Library Association will be impacted by the Arizona State Library's funding cuts, as the two often partner with each other and the Arizona State Library is mostly paid for through IMLS grants.
"Arizona's small, rural, and tribal libraries will be most affected by the elimination of IMLS," the spokesperson wrote. "Many libraries in rural areas of the state have the funding from their municipalities to keep the doors open, often for just a few days each week. IMLS grants enable these libraries to enhance their small collections with materials that mirror the community interest and need."
The spokesperson said IMLS funding is just 0.0046% of the federal budget, but that it has much bigger impacts for communities on the local and state level.
Cindy Hohl, the president of the American Library Association, said small and local libraries could depend on IMLS funding for up to a third of their budget.
Now, Hohl said it is important for these libraries to look for how states could continue funding them without federal assistance.
Jessica Jupitus, the director of library services for the Tempe Public Library, said their library runs on municipal funds but does have a grant from the IMLS each year to host a "Writers-in-Residence" program.
"Fortunately for us, we have the 'Friends of the Tempe Public Library' who raise money to support the library, and they can support that program for the next year," Jupitus said.
Hohl said "Friends of the Library" programs across the U.S. are one source of non-government funding that libraries can look to in the future.
Ellis said that, without IMLS-funded programs, it will be more difficult to draw people into libraries.
"It makes it a lot harder to grow," he said. "Instead of having the people that already know about it show up, it makes it a lot harder to convince someone to show up if you aren't able to put on new events."
Ellis suggested people may try to replace library events with online learning or after-school programs, but said these will still not make up for the environment that libraries provide for kids.
A similar transition to Zoom almost ended Page Turners during the COVID-19 pandemic, though Ellis said the club was ultimately able to revitalize.
At this time, Ellis said the best way for college students to support their local libraries could be through volunteering or even just using their library cards.
Hohl, Jupitus and the Arizona Library Association spokesperson said libraries are important institutions to preserve for all members of a community.
"(Libraries) are about connecting people to what they need, and that often looks like connecting them to friends and neighbors," the Arizona Library Association spokesperson said in a statement. "We have opportunities for students from the moment they can hold a book, until they hold a college diploma and beyond. We keep seniors connected through book clubs and crafting groups. Caregivers find connection and advice at library events for their young children. Libraries are for everyone, and are more relevant now than they ever have been."
The spokesperson also mentioned that many small Arizona libraries rely on IMLS funding for hotspot lending programs, research databases and telehealth visits.
"Libraries have evolved as storage of information has evolved," the spokesperson said. "They still have books, but also access to the internet, digital literacy classes to help patrons find and interpret the information they find online, hotspots to allow folks to access information when they are not able to visit the library to use the internet, and programs that introduce people to new ideas and opportunities."
For Hohl, libraries are "the last public institution that's trusted and free."
She emphasized the importance of libraries in teaching media literacy and providing information for children, especially through outreach programs such as Page Turners. She also discussed libraries' role in summer reading programs, job searches for those who may not have access to the internet and disability services — for instance, by carrying books in Braille.
"The government supports communities, and that is exemplified in libraries," Jupitus said. "Libraries are crucial for some folks, nice to have for others, but universally, they're an indicator of a healthy community."
Jupitus and Hohl have been working in libraries for decades, both inspired by librarians in their families, and have loved reading for longer.
"I cannot imagine doing anything but working in public libraries," Jupitus said.
Hohl still holds out hope that, since other federal workers have been cut and reinstated, federal funding for libraries could return.
"The day that we close libraries in America is the day that democracy dies," she said.
Edited by Abigail Beck, Sophia Braccio and Katrina Michalak.
Reach the reporter at pkfung@asu.edu and follow @FungPippa on X.
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Pippa is a sophomore studying journalism and mass communication with minors in political science and German. This is her third semester with The State Press. She has also worked at Blaze Radio and the Los Alamos National Lab.
