A Major Court Win for IMLS, Libraries – Book Riot
A Major Court Win for IMLS, Libraries
Trump and his administration are barred from dismantling the Institute of Museum and Library Services, thanks to a judge’s ruling.
By Kelly Jensen, Nov 24, 2025
U.S. District Court Chief Judge John J. McConnell ruled in favor of 21 state attorneys general suing Donald Trump over the dismantling of the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) and several other small federal agencies. This permanent injunction means that the Trump administration cannot do further harm to the IMLS.
McConnell wrote in the first paragraph of his decision:
By now, the question presented in this case is a familiar one: may the Executive Branch undertake such actions in circumvention of the will of the Legislative Branch? In recent months, this Court—along with other courts across the country—has concluded that it may not. That answer remains the same here.
On March 14, the Trump administration announced via an Executive Order that the only federal agency dedicated to public libraries and museums, the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) would be dismantled. Since that time, employees have been laid off and federal funding has been revoked and reinstated nationwide. The Trump-appointed acting director of the agency, Keith Sonderling, made clear that the purpose of the agency going forward would be state propaganda.
The ripples of these federal decisions have made their way to the state level, with state libraries laying off employees and cuts to public library services at the local level impacted. Two lawsuits (Rhode Island v. Trump and The American Library Association v. Sonderling) were filed against the cuts, both of which remain in the federal courts. A full timeline and look at the impact of the IMLS dismantling can be viewed here.
In making his decision, the judge pointed to the lack of standing the administration made related to the Tucker Act, as well as failure of the administration to act reasonably when terminating grants and IMLS staff. The judge also emphasized that the administration’s decision to dismantle the IMLS was unconstitutional, violating both the “Take Care” and “Separation of Powers” clauses.
McConnell’s decision also pointed to the evidence submitted by the 21 states as proof that the dismantling of the IMLS wasn’t immaterial or imagined:
The Court finds Defendants’ argument unavailing, as the record paints a markedly different picture. For instance, consider the public libraries in New Mexico, New Jersey, Maine, and Oregon that would have to close branches, implement hiring freezes, and/or cease providing services that aim to foster literacy and support learning among its patrons were IMLS to be dismantled. ECF No. 75 at 43-46; ECF No. 92 at 25-26. Or consider the State universities in Hawai‘i, Maryland, and Arizona that would be forced to eliminate their student programming, default on their contracts, and/or terminate their employees absent continued funding from MBDA.22 ECF No. 92 at 24-25. Next, consider the State entities in Rhode Island, Illinois, and Minnesota that face the very real prospect of work stoppage and negotiation impasses should their labor disputes go unresolved without the critical support of FMCS mediators. ECF No. 92 at 26-27. And finally, consider the loss that Michigan, New York, and Wisconsin would suffer without the research-based and community-specific expert assistance that each State’s agencies have continuously relied on in their efforts to support unhoused individuals.ECF No. 75 at 53-55. All this to say: the injuries alleged are to the States themselves and are far more than merely economic or speculative.
We have already seen that services like Interlibrary Loan (ILL) have been directly affected by the loss of IMLS funds. South Dakota shut down ILL services early on the IMLS dismantling, while Iowa saw their courier service slashed from twice a week ro once. Florida lost ILL services statewide on October 1.
The decision in this case applies to grants in all states in the US, not just those whose states brought the case to court. That means the grants available via the IMLS will continue and they will be available to all 50 states. Funding cannot be arbitrarily halted. We saw this happen as three states had their grants canceled–California, Connecticut, and Washington–over the inclusion of the word “equity” in their application.
The administration is also barred from taking further action in dismantling the agency.
“Today’s ruling is a victory for the rule of law and a clear rejection of executive overreach. Congress created the Institute of Museum and Library Services to serve the American people, and no president can erase that mandate by fiat. We are grateful to the 21 plaintiff states who stood up in this case and defended the statutory rights of libraries, museums, and their communities,” said John Chratska, Executive Director of EveryLibrary. “Their courage has not only protected IMLS but also the entire federal framework for access to information, learning, and culture. As Congress resumes work on the FY2026 appropriations bills, we urge lawmakers to fully fund IMLS, especially the Grants to States program, and reaffirm the agency’s role as an essential partner to every library in the nation.”
See Also: Other posts on the blog about this court ruling & IMLS.
- https://drwebdomain.blog/2025/11/23/court-permanently-blocks-trumps-executive-order-to-dismantle-federal-agency-for-americas-libraries-public-libraries-online/
- https://drwebdomain.blog/2025/11/21/court-permanently-blocks-trumps-executive-order-to-dismantle-federal-agency-for-americas-libraries/
- https://drwebdomain.blog/2025/09/05/ala-leads-libraries-museums-cultural-institutions-and-nations-largest-cultural-worker-union-urging-federal-court-to-block-administrations-efforts-to-dismantle-the-nations-cultur/
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