1. United States
2. N.C.
3. Letter

As your constituent, I urge you to oppose any proposed 2027 budget cuts to the Institute of Museum and Library Services, or IMLS. This federal agency supports libraries across the country, and the proposed budget would eliminate it entirely, putting essential services at risk. In North Carolina alone, the agency provided about $5.9 million in fiscal year 2025, with much of that funding flowing through the state’s Library of North Carolina to support services used by libraries statewide, including the libraries I use. IMLS funding is not an abstract bureaucracy; it helps keep real services available to my community here in Waxhaw. As you probably know, much of North Carolina’s support goes through the state's Department of Natural & Cultural Resources and helps pay for services used by libraries across the state. Losing that funding would jeopardize library-based services that residents rely on for access, learning, and finding jobs. This is the second time the administration has tried to end IMLS, despite Congress’s role in controlling federal spending. Please defend IMLS in the 2027 budget process and protect the library services that benefit students, families, workers, and communities in our state. Federal support for libraries is a small investment with wide public impact, and North Carolina should not lose funding that helps keep those services accessible.