Dear friends,
I’ll be heading out of town on Wednesday, March 26, and I want to thank the Skidompha board and the wonderful staff here for their generous patience while I am away. There are no finer people to be in charge, and I know Skidompha is in the best hands. Our newsletters will continue apace, with yet-to-be-determined staff taking over authorial duties. I look forward to their notes. And spring will hopefully be in full swing when I get back?
Next, thank you, thank you, thank you so very much to all of you who have reached out to you representatives in response to the recent executive order targeting funding of the Institute of Museum and Library Services. Your actions and notes of support mean so much to me, to Skidompha, and to libraries in general. For a refresher, please see the American Library Association’s FAQ regarding this executive order.
While I am gone, please, I ask everyone to continue calling their representatives. It is imperative that we maintain the momentum. Our representatives need to hear from us – and continue to hear from us – on this issue. If you are a library supporter and have not called yet, please consider doing so. If you have already called, thank you! Can I convince you to call again?
Per my prior unscheduled email from last week, IMLS will have level funding through fiscal year 2025, but the order puts its future in significant doubt. Losing the Institute of Museum and Library Services would be catastrophic to the Maine Library Association and to libraries across Maine. I will quote the Maine Library Association here:
“The Maine Library Association Executive Board strongly disagrees with this action. The elimination of IMLS would negatively impact all Mainers who rely on library services. Federal funding is critical for the Maine State Library to provide important statewide resources and services. In FY24, the last fully appropriated grant, Maine State Library received $1,526,754 in Library Services and Technology Act funds. Each state receives federal funding through (the act), and the overall ask for FY25 is $214 million. This would include roughly the same amount for Maine as in FY24.”
Federal funding in Maine goes toward:
Free gigabit internet to 243 public libraries through the Maine School and Library Network
Supporting interlibrary loan service to over 260 libraries statewide, ensuring Maine residents have access to more than 10 million items
Providing e-books and audiobooks to all Mainers through CloudLibrary
Providing those who are blind or visually impaired with large print and recorded books mailed to the patron for free
Delivering professional development training to library staff through consultations and workshops
Support for online databases offered through the Digital Maine Library
Providing the Books by Mail program to homebound individuals and Maine residents who live in rural areas without a local library
Support for Maine InfoNet for technology support and training for shared library catalogs statewide, building a strong connection for resource sharing statewide, and Digital Maine Library tech support and maintenance.
While most library funding in Maine comes from local sources, federal dollars are crucial in building equity by providing resources to libraries with smaller budgets. Federal funding for libraries accounts for just 0.003% of the overall federal budget, and this incredibly modest investment ensures that all communities have access to essential library services regardless of local funding capacity. Libraries are open to all, and services are well used. In 2023, there were over one million visits to public libraries in Maine (from the MLA Statement about IMLS).
Again, please support your local library and contact your representatives and ask them to push hard to reverse this executive order.
Be well,
Matthew Graff
Executive Director
Skidompha Public Library
(Skidompha Library has been supporting our community since 1885 in downtown Damariscotta. You can find us online and view our full calendar at skidompha.org.)
