A federal judge has ordered the Trump administration to pause cuts to the federal agency that funds libraries and museums in the U.S.
In March, President Donald Trump issued an executive order cutting back on seven federal agencies. That order includes the Institute of Museum and Library Services, the only federal agency that funds libraries in the U.S.
Michigan was among 21 states that sued Trump to pause the cuts. The states argued the funding cuts would do irreparable harm to the nation’s libraries.
A Rhode Island judge granted a preliminary injunction on Tuesday. The order means the federal government should continue funding the agencies – at least for now.
The pause is good, but Michigan libraries are still uncertain about the future, said Deborah Mikula, the director of the Michigan Library Association.
“We're waiting for the next shoe to drop,” she said. That’s because Trump’s proposed budget for fiscal year 2026 also slashes the institute’s budget. That needs to be approved by Congress.
“There's good and bad in all of this,” Mikula said. “So while [the agency] may not be dismantled, if there's no budget next year, it'll be dismantled anyway.”
Michigan libraries rely on $4.8 million from the federal government, according to the MLA. Some of those funds support Michigan's interlibrary loan program, known as MeLCAT. The program allows patrons of over 400 libraries to share materials across the state.
Federal cuts could disrupt or even end that program. Small and rural libraries would be hit hardest, Mikula said.
“They rely heavily on the other libraries being accessible to them to provide their citizens with what they need,” she said.
The injunction also paused cuts to the Minority Business Development Agency and the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service. They are also on the chopping block in Trump’s proposed 2026 budget.
The budget document refers to IMLS as a “small agency,” but it provides a lot for Michigan’s residents, Mikula said.
“What is happening on a federal level affects every single community in the state of Michigan,” Mikula said. “Our libraries are at the heart of every community.”
