Anita Chabria: Trump is slashing library funds. California is a target

President Donald Trump has made it clear since his first term that he's no fan of libraries, or books for that matter.

In addition to attempting to cut their funding then, he created a frenzy over drag queen story hours that were hosted by some libraries, and backed book banning in school facilities.

Like so much of the Trump 2.0 agenda, it turns out that was just the warm-up. In the last month, Trump — mostly through the fine team at his Department of Government Efficiency, which is not an actual government entity — has gutted the Institute of Museum and Library Services, or IMLS, the federal organization that supports the nation's 123,000 libraries and 35,000 museums, and demolished the congressionally approved grants that fund them.

California, along with two other states that dared mention diversity and equity in their grant applications, will be especially hard hit. But so will you and I, because for decades libraries have been more than just places to check out a book for free.

They've evolved into a network of vital services and destinations that provide internet access for those who can't afford it; literacy classes for kids and adults; in-home programs for vulnerable groups such as the elderly and so much more. Really, the list of what your local library offers is too long for this space.

But mostly, they offer this — to be a great equalizer between the haves and have-nots. So curtailing their work is another arrow aimed at the heart of democracy, as damaging as the attack on universities and the free press.

"Libraries are not icing on the cake. They're not the cherry on top," John Szabo, the city librarian of the Los Angeles Public Library, told me. "They really, really are essential."

So what exactly did Trump do? In 1996, Congress created the IMLS to handle a system of grants for libraries and museums. In 2024, that was about 600 grants amounting to about $270 million. Peanuts, but important peanuts — especially for rural and tribal libraries that function on shoestring budgets.

In March, DOGE put on leave the entire IMLS staff (then rehired a few). I tried to contact the agency for this story, but it appears its media person is no longer there, and emails went unanswered.

Then, in early April, the agency sent out letters canceling those 2024 grants (which run through the fiscal year ending in June) — even though libraries were already using the funds — claiming the way the money was being spent was "unfortunately inconsistent with IMLS' priorities."

Cindy Hohl, the president of the American Library Assn., a nonprofit that promotes and advocates for libraries, told me that at this time of year, those priorities include planning for summer reading programs for young kids that help with early literacy and preventing learning loss in older kids while school is out. Some of those programs even provide lunches for children who may otherwise go hungry.

"It's a safe space for everyone at all times, but especially during the summer, when students aren't in school," Hohl said. "It's harmful to hear that literacy services in America have been deemed as wasteful, and librarians are going to push back on that, because when you look at the data and you look at the research, Americans overwhelmingly love their libraries."

Rebecca Wendt, the deputy state librarian of the California State Library, told me the cancellation of the grants was an instant loss of about $3 million for California. The state library was awarded $15.7 million for the year, and was still owed about 21% of that. The federal grants are usually given to state libraries, which then dole them out to local facilities. The money represents up to 6% of local budgets, she said.

"They are going to have to scramble now, at the end of a budget year, to figure out how they will fill the gaps," Wendt said.

So will the state. Wendt said that the State Library's portion of the funds was directly supporting 34 staff members, in addition to covering programs including its free service to provide Braille books for blind people.

Los Angeles, thanks to voters, has dedicated funding for its libraries. In 2011, we passed Measure L, which ensured city libraries have the money to stay open after a budget crunch threatened to curtail hours.

But Szabo said even here, the loss of the federal money is causing consternation. When the grants were cut, L.A. was in the process of using its $166,000 award for programs including creating spaces for neurodivergent kids and their families inside some branches. Another portion of the grant was going toward a program that helped older adults learn about science.

Now, those programs are up in the air.

"Do we stop it altogether? Do we go ahead? What do we do?" Szabo wondered.

In the middle of that uncertainty, the news got worse. Applications for next year's grants, set to begin in July, were sent out in mid-April. The grants have been sliced in half for most states. But California wasn't even offered an application, Wendt told me. Although there is great uncertainty, right now it looks like the federal government is freezing out Golden State libraries altogether.

"There should be no reason for declaring California ineligible for grant funds," Wendt said. "However, we have been left off of the notifications that went to 47 other states last week notifying them of their allotment for the next fiscal year."

With both Los Angeles and California facing budget crunches, it's uncertain at best how the loss of the federal funds would be handled. But more than that, Hohl sees the federal actions as another attack on the fabric of American society, an attempt to bury our history and our diversity by controlling information.

She points out that when it comes to banning books, "when you look at the (banned) book list every year, it's the same titles and it shows you a very clear picture. If they happen to be Black, Indigenous, a person of color, or representative of the LGBTQIA+ community, those are the titles that are targeted and attacked repeatedly."

Hohl said her organization has filed a federal suit against the IMLS, DOGE and others to stop the cuts. Since the funds are mandated by Congress, the suit argues that Trump can't just slash them on his own.

"They targeted the wrong profession," Hohl said. "If anyone thought that we were quiet and we were going to stand back, they didn't know us. We will stand up for every American's constitutional rights. We will stand up for the 1st Amendment. We will stand up to make sure that libraries are not shuttered, because the day that libraries are shuttered in America is the day that democracy dies."

Whether that legal effort is successful or not, the attack on libraries isn't going to end. Truthful information has become an enemy to the MAGA contingent, and our once-quiet librarians, Hohl said, are "intellectual freedom warriors" ready for a long and loud fight.

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