What's at Stake for Wisconsin Libraries?
Update: On December 3, 2025, the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) announced that it has restored all previously terminated grants, including those supporting libraries and library organizations nationwide. Although the grant reinstatements are great news for libraries and their communities, your advocacy is still important and can continue to have an impact.
On March 31, 2025, all Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) employees were placed on administrative leave, with access to their work systems blocked. The President replaced the agency’s leadership with the Deputy Secretary of Labor. Without leadership and staff, it’s expected that library funding will be halted.
This action puts crucial services at risk across the country—and especially here in Wisconsin. Federal law requires IMLS to provide support to public libraries, but that support is currently only guaranteed through September 2025.
Stewarding Federal Support with Integrity and Impact
Since 1997, Wisconsin has received over $55 million in IMLS funding through 248 grants. Many of these grants were matched by state, local, or private dollars—leveraging additional investment and expanding impact.
Postcard Campaign Update - Thank You Wisconsin!
Together, we did it—over 11,000 postcards were collected and mailed to Wisconsin’s federal legislators through the Speak Up for Libraries campaign!
Your stories, your voices, and your support showed just how much libraries mean to our communities. This unified effort sends a powerful message: libraries are essential, and we are stronger when we speak up together.
Congress is listening. Subcommittees in both the Senate and the House have voted to continue funding the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) in the new budget. If it passes, this would reverse the intent of the Executive Order signed in March, which would defund and close IMLS.
Your voice matters. Let your Federal elected officials know if libraries are important to you and your community.
Why IMLS Funding Matters
Supports Access to Information & Digital Equity
Federal funds power BadgerLink, Wisconsin’s online library, giving students, researchers, job seekers, and lifelong learners access to hundreds of quality databases. These same dollars fund WISCAT, our statewide interlibrary loan system, making it possible for patrons to borrow materials from any library in the state.
Expands Internet Access in Underserved Areas
IMLS grants help libraries provide internet hotspots, improve broadband infrastructure, and support digital literacy efforts. These services are critical for families without reliable internet at home, especially in rural parts of Wisconsin.
Boosts Local Library Innovation and Services
Libraries use IMLS grants to modernize spaces, test new programs, and respond to emerging community needs. Whether it’s launching workforce development initiatives or hosting programs for small businesses and job seekers, these dollars create real, measurable impact.
Empowers Library Staff
IMLS funding allows Wisconsin libraries to send staff to required continuing education events and leadership trainings—ensuring that every library, no matter its size, has knowledgeable, certified professionals delivering top-tier service.
Strengthens the Statewide Library System
From shared catalogs to delivery vans that move materials across counties, IMLS dollars flow through the Department of Public Instruction and strengthen Wisconsin’s 15 public library systems—creating efficiencies and shared resources that individual libraries couldn’t afford alone.
What You Can Do:
- Write or call your federal elected officials to tell them how your library is important to you or your community.
- Find your federal elected officials using this link.
- Make a video about why libraries matter to you and upload it to our story form.
- Use your library and encourage others to do the same!
How Are Libraries Funded?
Libraries in Wisconsin benefit from layered funding: local, state, and federal sources all work together to ensure libraries can serve their communities effectively.
Local Funding
Your city, village, or county provides most of your library’s budget. This supports:
- Staff salaries
- Operational costs
- Collection purchases
- Building maintenance
State Funding
Every two years, the Wisconsin State Legislature allocates funding through the Department of Public Instruction (DPI) to support the 15 library systems across the state. These funds support:
- Interlibrary loan services (like WISCAT)
- Shared resources and catalogs
- Statewide services (Talking Book and Braille Library, Cooperative Children’s Book Center, Recollection Wisconsin)
- Marketing and technology support
Federal Funding – IMLS
In 2024, IMLS provided $3.2 million in federal funds to Wisconsin. This supports:
- BadgerLink, Wisconsin’s online library of research and learning databases
- Technology purchases like public computers, Wi-Fi hotspots, and internet service
- Professional development and continuing education for library staff
- Grants for library innovation and modernization
- DPI staff who provide consulting and compliance support
Take Action: Speak Up for Libraries
You can help ensure your library—and libraries across the state—continue to thrive.
Federal Funding, Local Results
Libraries are essential resources for communities across Wisconsin. They are non-partisan institutions, supported by both sides of the aisle, and provide critical services to people of all ages and backgrounds.
Libraries welcome everyone. They serve as inclusive community hubs that offer resources, programs, and support for people from all walks of life. From children attending storytimes to seniors learning new technologies, libraries connect people to knowledge, opportunity, and one another.
Libraries ensure equitable access to information and technology, helping bridge the digital divide. They provide internet access, workforce development support, educational resources, and more—especially to individuals and families who cannot otherwise afford them.
Library services and funding are especially crucial for small towns and rural communities. Many of these libraries rely on federal funding to maintain core services, offer programs, and provide broadband access. Without this funding, these communities risk losing vital lifelines.
Libraries operate with strong systems of oversight and accountability to ensure efficiency and effectiveness. Federal funds from the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) are distributed through state agencies and used to enhance services, not create waste. Cutting these funds doesn’t eliminate inefficiencies—it eliminates access.