The entire staff of the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) was placed on paid administrative leave for up to 90 days on Monday, halting most grant processing and plunging the future of federal support for libraries and museums into uncertainty.

The news came after IMLS leadership met with Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) staff. Librarians across The Overlook Region warn that losing IMLS could disrupt some services and critical operations.

“All of these little town libraries exist in a much bigger statewide ecosystem,” said Ivy Gocker, director of the Woodstock Library. “And so we’re not unaffected by the federal cuts.”

Gocker’s library, which anticipates opening its new facility in July or August, expects $230,000 in state construction reimbursement aid this year, administered through the Division of Library Development, whose staff salaries are funded almost entirely by IMLS. Without timely reimbursement, which appears possible—and perhaps likely—given the sweeping layoffs at IMLS, Woodstock Library faces a financial squeeze amid ongoing renovation expenses. “It doesn’t affect our move date because construction is well underway,” Gocker explained. “What is up in the air is when we’ll get the reimbursement, putting us in a bit of a financial crunch.

“New York State doesn’t have a plan to fund that department at the moment,“ she added. It’s possible it gets sorted out, but it makes us nervous about when we’ll receive money that is already there.” 

A System Under Strain

The Mid-Hudson Library System, linking 66 libraries across five counties, relies on state funding for 80 percent of its budget. Without IMLS, that funding pipeline could stall.

“There’s a staff that sits in an office in Albany called the Division of Library Development… their salaries are all paid by federal dollars,” said Mid-Hudson Executive Director Rebekkah Smith Aldrich. “So if those federal dollars aren’t there… there’s no way for the state money to actually get to libraries.” Aldrich further explained, “Congress has mandated what’s called the ‘Grants to States’ program… whether it will be reauthorized in the fall is what we’re keeping an eye on.”

Aldrich highlighted the critical nature of the funding, adding, “I don’t see 80 percent of my operating aid for the foreseeable future [if this isn’t addressed]. That would shut down my organization. If one part of that chain gets disrupted, it pushes costs down the line.”

Rural Libraries at Real Risk

In Pine Hill, Gisi Vella single-handedly manages the Morton Memorial Library on $60,225 budget, sourced from town funding, a school grant, and local donations.

“It’s really very scary and concerning,” she said. “Libraries are so much more than books… we run a food pantry out of the library. We’ve received a grant to purchase ukuleles. We also have snowshoes to check out, a sewing machine, fishing rods. We couldn’t operate our library without Mid-Hudson.”

Phoenicia Library Director Liz Potter echoed these concerns. “Our doors will literally always stay open… but there’s going to be a ripple effect,” she said. “The state funds 85 percent of our library system’s operations. That’s training, delivery, interlibrary loans… it’s huge.”

Potter, who oversaw her library’s reconstruction after a devastating fire in 2011, said state grants are challenging to administer even under normal circumstances. “Without administrative staff at the state level, those won’t get processed.”

A Common Thread

In Saugerties, Director Jennifer Serrano summarized the crisis clearly: “Public libraries are funded through local dollars… the real threat is to the system that links us all together. We pay [Mid-Hudson] about $20,000 a year for delivery, the catalog, and the database. A smaller library like Rosendale would pay much less—but we all depend on it equally.”

“If the system couldn’t deliver books… we won’t have nearly the same service as we do now,” she said. “People are showing up in my office wanting to help. They’re scared.”

Statewide Alarm

The New York Library Association has initiated an advocacy campaign and is actively engaging state lawmakers.

“This is kind of a moment where [advocacy] is right up our alley,” said Executive Director AnnaLee Dragon. “We’re trying to help tell the stories of what’s at risk.

New York State Librarian Lauren Moore in a statement to The Overlook said the situation is evolving, but her office remains committed to maintaining library services.

“Libraries are a critical part of the state’s education system, providing access to books, information, and community services like educational programs and free Wi-Fi,” Moore said. “We’re closely monitoring the potential impact of federal spending cuts and are in communication with key decision-makers.”

Dragon added, “If the State Library takes this hit… that’s a big concern. They’re kind of the central cog. They’re ecosystems. And when you pull one thread, the whole thing can unravel.”

Noah Eckstein is the editor-in-chief of The Overlook. Send correspondence to noah@theoverlooknews.com.