1. United States
2. Mass.
3. Letter

I’m writing to express my strong support for the recent federal court decision blocking former President Donald Trump’s attempt to dismantle the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS). District Court Judge John J. McConnell Jr.’s ruling rightly found that the effort violated the Administrative Procedure Act—a decision that upholds not only the law, but the importance of access to public knowledge and culture. Libraries and museums are not luxuries. They are vital institutions that educate, preserve history, build community, and provide equitable access to information for people of all ages and backgrounds. The IMLS plays a critical role in supporting these spaces across the country, especially in underserved and rural areas that rely heavily on federal funding. Attempts to shutter this agency are not just shortsighted—they are part of a broader pattern of undermining education, public access to truth, and the civic infrastructure that sustains democracy. I urge you to: 1. Publicly reaffirm your support for the Institute of Museum and Library Services. 2. Protect IMLS from future political attempts to defund or dismantle it. 3. Ensure consistent, increased funding to strengthen its impact in every state and territory. The survival of our libraries and museums should never be a partisan issue. They are spaces of learning, memory, and imagination. They deserve our protection. Thank you for your leadership.