[Libs-Or] Libs-Or Digest, Vol 266, Issue 9

[Amy Hofer]

Thank you Wendy for your important work protecting the IMLS and Oregon
libraries! Amy


>
>
> Message: 8
> Date: Tue, 8 Apr 2025 16:16:51 +0000
> From: DAVIDSEN Monica * SLO <Monica.DAVIDSEN at slo.oregon.gov>
> To: "libs-or at omls.oregon.gov" <libs-or at omls.oregon.gov>
> Subject: [Libs-Or] The State of Oregon Part of Multi-state Coalition
>         Suing to Stop Dismantling of Federal Agencies That Support
> Libraries
>         and Museums
> Message-ID:
>         <
> CO6PR09MB8261FAE9DFB26D830DDA65DEC5B52 at CO6PR09MB8261.namprd09.prod.outlook.com
> >
>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"
>
> [cid:image002.png at 01DBA866.F6328C40][Shape  Description automatically
> generated with medium confidence]
>
>
>
> Contact:            Wendy Cornelisen
> State Librarian
> 503-378-4367
>
> Date:                   April 8, 2025
>
> FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
>
> Salem, Ore - The State of Oregon, alongside 19 other states, is seeking a
> temporary restraining order against the current administration's March 31,
> 2025 action placing nearly all Institute of Museum and Library Services
> (IMLS) staff on administrative leave. The motion is supported by written
> testimony<
> https://www.oregon.gov/library/Documents/DeclarationOfWendyCornelisen.pdf>
> from Oregon's State Librarian, Wendy Cornelisen, detailing the effects of
> the IMLS shutdown on the State Library of Oregon and local libraries in
> Oregon.
>
> "I know that the impact of this action would cause IMLS to be unable to
> administer financial programs on which the State Library of Oregon relies
> and on which it expects to rely in the future, it will cause significant
> financial harm to the State of Oregon and hamper the State's efforts to
> facilitate access to information through providing library services,"
> Cornelisen said in her testimony.
> This action follows from Executive Order 14238<
> https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2025/03/20/2025-04868/continuing-the-reduction-of-the-federal-bureaucracy>,
> which proposed eliminating the "non-statutory components and functions" of
> seven federal agencies, including IMLS. The IMLS action threatens $2.6
> million in funding that the State Library relies on for a quarter of its
> annual budget.
>
> Funds from IMLS support a number of critical services used by libraries
> across Oregon including:
>
>   *   Two-thirds of the Library Support and Development Services division<
> https://www.oregon.gov/library/libraries/> staff, who advise and support
> the 1,600 academic, public school, and special libraries and Tribal Nations
> around the state. These staff also coordinate the programs listed below.
>   *   Free access for all Oregonians to electronic articles from
> magazines, newspapers, academic journals, and more through the Statewide
> Database Licensing Program<https://libguides.osl.state.or.us/SDLP_FAQ/>.
>   *   Northwest Digital Heritage<https://www.northwestdigitalheritage.org/>,
> a site that collects over one million digitized photographs, letters,
> documents, and more from over 250 libraries, museums, and other
> institutions around the Pacific Northwest.
>   *   Competitive grant programs<https://slo.oregon.gov/lstagrants/awards>
> for libraries that have funded projects as diverse as bookmobiles, teen
> internships in libraries, loanable laptops for low-income students,
> makerspaces, and digital skills training.
>   *   Statewide and regional programs such as the Oregon Battle of the
> Books<https://www.oregonbattleofthebooks.org/>, Oregon School Library
> Information System<https://oslis.org/> (OSLIS), Library2Go<
> https://library2go.overdrive.com/>, and half of the Sage Library System<
> https://www.sagelib.org/> courier system serving over 75 libraries across
> 15 counties in Eastern Oregon.
>   *   Answerland<https://answerland.org/>, the state's 24/7 online chat
> reference service that connects people with questions to librarians with
> answers.
>   *   Free professional development opportunities for library staff,
> volunteers, and board members.
>
> The above programs and many more are paid in whole or part by Library
> Services and Technology Act (LSTA) funds, statutorily administered by IMLS.
> The LSTA was enacted by Congress as part of the Museum and Library Services
> Act in 1996. It includes annual grants to all 50 states through IMLS's
> Grants to States<
> https://www.imls.gov/find-funding/funding-opportunities/grants-to-states-overview>
> program.
> In addition to threatening current fiscal year projects, IMLS's uncertain
> status means that the State Library is unable to make financial commitments
> for next fiscal year. The agency has not yet received its FFY 2025 award
> letter from IMLS. Confirmation of the 2025 award is necessary to fund
> staff, ongoing services, contracts with vendors, and the 2025 competitive
> grant cycle that is in process now. Congress authorized FFY 2025 funding
> for IMLS in continuing resolution HR 1968<
> https://urldefense.com/v3/__https:/www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/1968/text__;!!Bg5easoyC-OII2vlEqY8mTBrtW-N4OJKAQ!NTE7SfHZSAkYCMIBUyT8hRP2gDY9QwwqtcBxqvWeWJ7_o44ODAVGXdCgrFub5svMCIWU5wDHt41809T-VdlO0dPoPy6eSKbKFk7dTnV_PQ$>,
> which became law on March 15, 2025.
>
> Oregon is joined in the motion for the temporary restraining order by
> Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois,
> Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey,
> New York, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington, and Wisconsin. The request was
> filed in the United States District Court for the District of Rhode Island.
> The State is represented by the Oregon Department of Justice.
>
> For more information, contact State Librarian Wendy Cornelisen at
> wendy.cornelisen at slo.oregon.gov<mailto:wendy.cornelisen at slo.oregon.gov>
> or 503-378-4367.
>

-- 
Amy Hofer (she/her)
Statewide Open Education Program Director
Open Oregon Educational Resources <http://openoregon.org>
Schedule a meeting with me <https://calendly.com/hofera>
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