Long Island libraries hang in the balance in the wake of President Trump’s executive order, Reduction of Federal Bureaucracy, which eliminated the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS). This action follows the administration’s defunding of the National Endowment for the Humanities.
These actions have halted federal grants to libraries and museums in the middle of the fiscal year, forcing many institutions to seek alternative funding to replace the allocated funds. Additional long-term effects are the potential for local libraries across Suffolk County to pierce the 2% tax cap to make up the lost federal revenue, resulting in higher property taxes.
In response to the executive order and its potential impacts on New York, State Attorney General Letitia James and a coalition of 20 other states have filed a suit against the Trump administration to block the dismantling of IMLS.
In a press release, James stated, “The Trump administration is launching another attack on vulnerable communities and our children’s education. The agency they are attempting to dismantle keeps our libraries and museums open so children can engage in lifelong learning.”
However, despite the suit, many state and private grants have frozen their funding due to uncertainty.
“The dismantling of IMLS will have cascading effects,” stated Samantha Alberts, Suffolk County Cooperative Library System librarian. “It is not A+ B=C; the eight million dollars from IMLS funds the state department that allocates and processes the grants for all the libraries across New York and coordinates the summer reading program. Additional grants affected are the E-rate broadband program, which jeopardizes $40 million in grants to Long Island schools and libraries. This is essentially the canary in the coal mine.”
On a local level, Danielle Paisley, director of Patchogue-Medford Library, explained: “This money is not just eight million dollars, but the additional infrastructure and construction grants that pay for the upkeep of our 60-year-old building, such as an LED lighting system, heating, a new roof, and other structural upgrades. We are under a 2% tax cap, and we were able to provide these upgrades by not exceeding that cap. The broadband program E-rate is another cost that will return to the taxpayer. We have completed and allocated our budget this year, but the uncertainty is the next fiscal year’s budget, which will potentially pierce the 2% tax cap. Additional programs that can be cut are the adult literacy programs.”
For local museums and some historical societies, many of the grants are funded through reimbursement, which has the potential to spur a massive default on the assets of many historical societies held on bridge loans (paid through reimbursement grants).
“It will certainly hit every museum on Long Island; they rely on these grants. Large private and corporate donors have reduced their funding to museums, which makes us and others dependent on state and federal funding. If you do not feel the immediate effects this year, we will see it next year”, explained Victoria Berger, Director of Suffolk County Historical Society. “Many of these grants are reimbursement grants, which means the institutions have to pay the costs upfront and get reimbursement. Throughout the state, it is common for museums to get bridge loans against real estate or an endowment and make full payments through the grant received. Suffolk Historical Society does not operate through bridge loans, but many of our grants through the state and other organizations get partial federal funding. This has frozen much of the grant awards for next year due to the uncertainty of financing.”
Even leaders of institutions that do not receive federal funding have concerns about cascading effects.
“We do not get any state or federal funding,” said Barry Dlouhy of the Bay Shore Historical Society. “Our benefactor is the Entenmann’s Family Foundation. I am concerned about our library because of what will happen if these cuts remain permanent. It will affect your tax base. People will not want to vote to pass a budget if their taxes go up, which will kill certain services.”
The Institute of Museum and Library Services has a yearly budget of $1.2 billion, and the National Endowment for the Humanities has $200 million, which collectively account for less than 0.0046% of the federal budget.
Our greatest strength on Long Island is our education system, which is strengthened through our cultural institutions and libraries. In addition to creating lifelong learners, our museums celebrate our 300-year-old collective history and help us understand our present.
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