Love Interlibrary Loans? If IMLS Is Defunded, Your Library May Have to Cut This Service
Learn what you can do to help preserve access to knowledge amid federal funding threats
Ever tracked down a rare book, niche journal article, or out-of-print novel through your library, even though it wasn't on their shelves? You have the magic of interlibrary loan (ILL) to thank. This powerful service connects libraries across the nation, so you can get what you need. But sadly, it could soon be gone.
Behind most ILL services is a federal agency called the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS). Right now, the IMLS is facing a funding crisis that could take this valuable service from the public.
Interlibrary Loan (ILL): Your Library's Connection to a Wealth of Resources
Interlibrary loan lets your library borrow materials and resources from other libraries across the country on your behalf. Have you ever needed a medical journal that your library doesn't carry? Sought out an obscure novel? Or how about a newspaper from the 1940s? ILL makes it possible.
Every day, students, researchers, and everyday readers gain access to millions of items that no single library could ever house. Simply put, ILL is one library card you can use to borrow from thousands of libraries.
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What Is the IMLS and Why Is It Facing Cuts?
The Institute of Museum and Library Services is the primary source of federal funding for our nation's libraries and museums. It supports innovation, lifelong learning, and accessibility to vital resources, including interlibrary loans.
Under the Trump administration, some IMLS grants are already on the chopping block. The proposed federal budget for FY26 goes even further and recommends the complete elimination of IMLS funding. Far beyond bureaucratic red tape, cutting this funding is a direct threat to the everyday services your local library provides.
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IMLS Cuts Mean ILLs Are at Risk
Unfortunately, operating the interlibrary loan system isn't free—staffing costs, shipping fees, and tech systems add up. Since most libraries rely on IMLS grants to help cover the costs of ILLs and provide the service to you at no charge, the future looks bleak without proper funding.
Across America, libraries have already been bracing for impact:
- Peoria Public Library (IL) has expressed concern about losing interlibrary loan services entirely.
- Brimfield Public Library (IL) expects longer wait times and potential service cutbacks.
- The South Dakota State Library reluctantly dropped its statewide interlibrary loan (ILL) contract this past April due to the uncertainty of IMLS funding. However, the library was able to secure the second half of its IMLS grant money for the year, allowing ILL services to resume as of June 1. Of course, this is temporary, and the future of the ILL program in SD beyond 2025 remains up in the air due to state budget cuts.
- Libraries across Wisconsin predict major disruptions to their ILL services if this funding is eliminated.
Without the support of the IMLS, you’ll no longer be able to access the resources and materials that are currently available to you, so the future of learning is at stake.
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Don't Let This Chapter End—Take Action for Libraries
Losing ILL would cut communities off from knowledge, opportunity, and access, so it affects us all. We must act now to save it.
Contact your federal representatives and urge them to continue funding the Institute of Museum and Library Services. Share this article with your community to raise awareness and support organizations like EveryLibrary, which are fighting for libraries every day.
Together, we can keep the doors to information open and ensure that ILL and all the other valuable services our local libraries provide remain available to everyone.
Visit www.everylibrary.org to learn more about our work on behalf of libraries.
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