April 3, 2026

Washington – The proposed Fiscal Year (FY) 2027 federal budget released today by the White House would cut funding for the only federal agency dedicated to supporting all types of libraries, the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS); the school library program Innovative Approaches to Literacy (IAL); and several library-eligible programs. The American Library Association (ALA) released the following statement from ALA President Sam Helmick: 

“The president has repeatedly underestimated congressional support for libraries and the lengths to which

advocates will go to protect library services. Thanks to library advocacy, Congress increased library

funding, just as they did all four years of the president’s first term.”

On April 6, 2026, a federal court approved the Trump Administration's request to withdraw their appeal of an earlier ruling reinstating the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) in the case Rhode Island v. Trump. On April 9, ALA and our co-plaintiff AFSCME signed a binding settlement agreement with the Department of Justice ensuring IMLS stays intact and continues its congressionally mandated work, bringing our own lawsuit, ALA v. Sonderling, to a close. Because of these lawsuits and their outcomes, as of April 2026, the Administration's earlier Executive Order cannot be implemented, and all previous actions to do so have been reversed.

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Updated April 9, 2026