President Donald Trump’s cuts to federal funding have impacted all sectors of society including local libraries.
In March, President Trump ordered the elimination of the Institute of Museum and Library Services, which provides funding to local libraries across the country.
Mindy Long, the Ida Public Library’s executive director said if cuts stay in place, they’ll have to make adjustments to the budget. She’ll strive to keep programs like story times, while cutting popular craft and author series.
“We won't have the quality programs that we've had before," she said, "because we won't have the money to spend on them."
Long says she expected the library to receive roughly $37,000 in federal funding this year. The timing of the cuts is bad because the Belvidere City Council had already set the library’s budget for the fiscal year that begins May 1.
“We cannot go back and ask for an increase in property tax to cover that kind of money,” Long said, “and nor would we, because we don't want to put a burden on the taxpayers who are already suffering with grocery prices and all sorts of other increased costs due to the tariffs.”
Long said she’s talking with library board and city council members about where to make reductions.
“I'm going to do everything in my power to cut that kind of money without affecting staff, without affecting hours,” she said. “It will affect some patron services.”
Illinois and 21 other states have filed a lawsuit to stop Trump’s order.
“We don't know what's going to happen,” she said. “I know that we've been informed to sort of hope for the best, but prepare for the worst,” Long said.
