No More Free Ebooks? Why IMLS Cuts Could Cost You Hoopla Access

Imagine settling into your daily commute with an engaging audiobook or streaming a blockbuster movie free from your library, anytime and anywhere. Thanks to Hoopla, this kind of access is a reality for millions of Americans. But this modern library perk is in jeopardy.

A proposed federal budget for FY26 threatens to eliminate funding for the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS). And it's this very agency that helps make digital services like Hoopla possible.

What Is the IMLS and Why Does It Matter?

The Institute of Museum and Library Services is the primary source of federal funding for libraries and museums across the United States. Through the financial power of grants, IMLS helps libraries expand access and provide vital resources to the public, like digital materials that remove accessibility barriers for a lot of us. In short, its crucial support enables public libraries to make an even greater impact. 

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The Looming Threat: Proposed IMLS Funding Cuts

While the Trump administration previously sought to terminate IMLS grants, the danger has now returned. The proposed FY26 federal budget aims to eliminate IMLS entirely, which means our libraries will lose this crucial funding lifeline.

This is so much more than a budget trim; it will result in a total shutdown of this essential agency that supports public access to information, education, and culture.

Hoopla: Your Digital Library Branch

Hoopla is a digital media platform offered by many public libraries. It gives cardholders free, on-demand access to ebooks, audiobooks, TV shows, movies, music, and more. It's like a digital branch of the library, is open 24/7, and is powered, in part, by funding that often includes IMLS grants.

How IMLS Cuts Could Cancel Your Hoopla Subscription

Digital subscriptions like Hoopla aren't cheap. And many libraries rely on IMLS funding or state-level grants supplemented by IMLS to keep them going. If this funding goes, they'll lose the ability to afford services like Hoopla. That means no more free ebooks.

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It's Already Happening: A Warning from Mississippi

Sadly, some libraries in Mississippi have had to cancel or reduce access to their Hoopla subscriptions already, because of terminated IMLS grants, including:

• First Regional Library
• Golden Triangle libraries, which include Columbus-Lowndes, Starkville-Oktibbeha, and Tombigbee Regional systems
• Jackson-George Regional Library System
• Dixie Regional Library System
• Blackmur Memorial Library
• Library of Hattiesburg, Petal, & Forrest County

It's unfortunate that so many communities have already lost free access to ebooks, music, and movies. And it's a sign of what's to come for the rest of the country if we don't act now. 

Your Voice is Crucial: Take Action to Save Library Funding

Your library needs your help and your voice. EveryLibrary has made it easy to take action to save federal funding for libraries. Get in touch with your local, state, and federal officials and demand that they continue to support IMLS. Share this story and speak out to protect your community's access to these digital books, music, and movies that impact so many lives.

Visit www.everylibrary.org to learn more about our work on behalf of libraries. 

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