Libraries are not just repositories for books. They are vital spaces for dialogue, learning, and community connection. At their core, libraries exist to foster understanding and bring people together, regardless of background, beliefs, or political views.

As your Library Directors tasked with leading these vital institutions and committed to empowering individuals through knowledge, we feel it is crucial to share how the proposed elimination of federal funding for the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) could impact you, our patrons.

While much of our funding comes from local municipalities and/or generous donors, federal support plays a critical role in sustaining and expanding our services. These federal funds provide:

• Gigabit internet to the libraries in Belfast, Camden, Rockland, and Rockport

• Interlibrary loan connecting over 260 libraries statewide, giving our residents access to more than 10 million items

• E-books and downloadable audiobooks through CloudLibrary

• Ancestry.com Library access

• Free books-by-mail service for blind or visually impaired patrons Partial cost-sharing for our collective, statewide library catalog, including tech support and maintenance

• Professional development opportunities for your librarians and library staff

• Access to online databases through Digital Maine Library that benefit students, entrepreneurs, and researchers

IMLS grant funding has had tangible benefits in our local libraries. Recently, through a Remote Work Through Libraries grant, the Rockland Public Library was able to add more comfortable seating options in its adult area, creating an inviting space for remote workers. This grant also provided funding for the installation of a new third-floor bathroom at the Camden Public Library.

Beyond these essential services, cutting federal support for libraries threatens FEMA disaster relief funding, which damaged the Camden Public Library during the 2024 January storms and potential grant support for integrating Wabanaki narratives into our local historical records. Also on the chopping block is funding for an NPS Save America’s Treasures grant to preserve our historic library buildings.

If your library matters to you, if you enjoy listening to books on your device, and if you enjoy access to materials from around the state of Maine–we implore you to reach out to your Congressional delegates and ask them to stand against this recent executive order.

For their contact information, go to GovTrack.us. To take action, find advocacy resources, and share your library story, check out www.ala.org/advocacy/show-up-for-our-libraries. Now is the time to raise our voices and protect our shared resources.

Most sincerely,

Kristy Kilfoyle, Executive Director, Camden Public Library
Amy Levine, Director, Rockland Public Library
Steve Norman, Director, Belfast Free Library
Benjamin Blackmon, Director, Rockport Public Library