WA libraries sound alarm after feds cancel $4M grant: ‘Downright cruel’
News that the federal government yanked a $3.9 million grant from the Washington State Library didn’t sit well with Secretary of State Steve Hobbs.
In an April 6 Instagram reel, Hobbs said that the freedom of speech and freedom to read are being undermined through policies and cuts at all levels of government — including through the recent termination of grants to states from the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), an independent federal agency.
Hobbs was especially blunt in a video posted a couple days prior that also takes aim at the IMLS grant cancellation.
“If last week was a s*** show,” Hobbs said in that reel, “this week was a four-alarm dumpster fire — filled with burning s***.”
Washington received its written notice of grant termination on April 1 from IMLS Acting Director Keith Sonderling. “This grant is unfortunately inconsistent with IMLS’ priorities,” the notice read in part.
McClatchy emailed Sonderling seeking comment but did not receive a reply.
The way Hobbs sees it, the scrapping of the multi-million-dollar, library-supporting grant “couldn’t come at a worse time.” And it will lead to “devastating consequences,” particularly for rural and small institutions, he said.
Since taking office in January, President Donald Trump’s administration has pursued cuts to federal jobs, agencies and funding at a breakneck clip.
Supporters say that Trump’s administration is making government more efficient while saving taxpayer dollars. Opponents argue that the concerted chainsawing of the federal government is instead having the opposite effect.
On April 4, Hobbs joined several library officials in writing to Washington’s congressional delegation. The letter says that over the past three years, Washington’s libraries, tribes, museums and universities saw more than $23.7 in IMLS grants.
Libraries offer unrestricted access to information in school, public, institutional and academic locations statewide, the letter says. This commitment is grounded in the principle that an informed and educated citizenry is key to a free society, it adds.
“That goal for libraries is not a partisan issue,” the letter continues. “They represent a critical ‘third place’ in communities across the state; a social environment that is not home or work and is for everyone.”
Deputy Secretary of State Randy Bolerjack told McClatchy via email that the $3.9 million annually from IMLS represents roughly a third of the annual Washington State Library budget.
Hobbs, librarians pen letter to WA congressional delegation
The letter from Hobbs and library officials lists what’s at stake thanks to the loss of the IMLS grant, highlighting that 32 Washington State Library workers are funded through the agency’s Grants to States program. The state’s Digital Library Consortium, which lends more than 1 million audiobooks and eBooks each year, is also threatened.
In addition, 30% of the state library’s federal funds support the Washington Talking Book and Braille Library and the Institutional Library Services, which provide prisoners will access to materials to “better themselves and prepare to rejoin society after confinement,” the letter says.
Also at risk is funding for rural libraries, which offer internet access and broadband equipment to underserved areas, the letter says.
“Federal support funds half of research database subscriptions for libraries,” according to the letter. “Given state budget limitations, this resource would likely end.”
The letter was signed by Hobbs, Washington State Librarian Sara Jones and several other library leaders across the state, including from The Evergreen State College and Tacoma and Bellingham public libraries.
Ainsley Nobara, executive director of the Washington Library Association, also signed the letter to register her concern over the sudden loss of federal dollars.
Nobara told McClatchy in a phone interview that, especially in rural or impoverished areas, people will need to lean on public and school libraries more, including when it comes to databases and resources for getting jobs or launching a small business.
“So, there’s a huge ripple effect with all of this that’s very concerning,” Nobara said.
Washington isn’t alone in getting slapped with a cancellation notice. Connecticut and California have also reportedly received written notification of IMLS grant termination.
“Withdrawing library grants is a callous move at any time, but downright cruel at a time when it’s getting harder for many Americans to make ends meet — most of all, in small and rural communities,” American Library Association President Cindy Hohl said in an online statement.
Washington joins lawsuit to stop destruction of IMLS
Attorney General Nick Brown announced April 4 that he’d joined 20 other attorneys general in suing to block three federal agencies, including IMLS, from being dismantled via a Trump-administration executive order issued last month. The two other targeted agencies are the Minority Business Development Agency and the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service.
Brown’s office noted that because of the executive order, IMLS placed nearly all its staff on administrative leave and will slash hundreds of grants meant for state libraries and museums.
Given the challenges surrounding Washington state’s budget, lawmakers have lots to consider before session adjourns later this month.
But Nobara hopes that they’ll keep in mind just how critical library resources and services are for Washingtonians.
“This is a situation where we lost funding completely — funding that we thought was already there, and some of it was already spent,” she said. “So this is high priority because of how many people it affects in the state.”
This story was originally published April 9, 2025 at 5:00 AM.
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