<
https://www.huffpost.com/entry/librarians-trump-administration-cuts_l_67e59789e4b0455df70b3aa2>
"Librarians have a bone to pick with President Donald Trump.
On Monday, the Institute of Museum and Library Services placed its entire staff
on administrative leave at the Trump administration’s behest ― a move that
comes two weeks after the president proposed eliminating the IMLS as part of
his ongoing efforts to slash the federal government’s workforce and funding.
That matters to local librarians because the majority of libraries’ federal
funding comes from the IMLS. Of the agency’s $290 million budget, about $160
million goes directly to the nation’s libraries, where it’s used to develop
literacy programs, workforce training and civic engagement initiatives. Museums
and archives get a cut of IMLS funding, too.
As
The New York Times reports, the IMLS ― which employs roughly 70 people ―
also provides competitive grants directly to libraries of various type:
Recently, that’s included things like $250,000 to the Seattle Public Library to
support teen mental health and $150,000 to the University of South Florida to
develop library resources for autistic patrons.
The American Library Association called the proposed budget cuts
“short-sighted” and an “assault” by the Trump administration that would be
deeply felt throughout local communities.
“By eliminating the only federal agency dedicated to funding library services,
the Trump administration’s executive order is cutting off at the knees the most
beloved and trusted of American institutions and the staff and services they
offer,” it said.
Shortly after issuing the executive order, Trump appointed Keith E. Sonderling
as acting director of IMLS. Sonderling said that, under his leadership, the
agency will be in “lockstep with this Administration” to “promote American
exceptionalism” and “restore focus on patriotism.”
Nancy Schram, a public librarian in Ventura, California, is among the
librarians deeply troubled by the attack on IMLS and what she sees as the
administration’s ongoing efforts to censor literature.
“Make no mistake about it, the elimination of funding for libraries is a
political assault on First Amendment rights, access to information, and the
freedom to read,” Schram told
HuffPost.
The attack on public libraries is another example of how Trump has never had to
rely on government services and “finds no value in them,” Schram said.
“It is a stark reminder of how easy it is for someone who has apparently never
utilized the services that libraries provide, to deprive those who desperately
need those services from accessing them,” she said."
Via Molly White’s [citation needed] Issue 81 – Crypto crime is legal
https://www.citationneeded.news/issue-81/
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
