Why can't you borrow that e-book anymore? Trump's order hits US libraries hard

Libraries across the United States are slashing staff, suspending interlibrary loan programs, and cutting access to e-books and audiobooks after the Trump administration abruptly suspended millions of dollars in federal grants by moving to dismantle the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS).

The executive order, signed by President Donald Trump on March 14, seeks to dissolve the IMLS and led to the dismissal of nearly all of its staff. The move has had an immediate and far-reaching impact, forcing state libraries to reassess their budgets and halt key services. While federal judges have issued temporary orders to block the dismantling of the agency, the suspension of funding has already taken a toll.

Maine laid off a fifth of its library staff and temporarily closed its state library after the federal funds failed to arrive. Mississippi's libraries suspended the Hoopla e-book service, and South Dakota has paused its statewide interlibrary loan program.

“It came as quite a surprise to all of us,” said Spencer Davis, a library generalist at the Maine State Library and one of eight employees laid off on May 8. Davis’s job was funded through an IMLS grant.

The grants are typically funneled through state libraries to support summer reading programs, digital lending services , and book-sharing networks between libraries—resources particularly crucial in rural communities that lack large local budgets.

“I think everyone should know the cost of providing digital sources is too expensive for most libraries," said Cindy Hohl, president of the American Library Association. “It’s a continuous and growing need.”

In Mississippi, the funding shortfall has directly affected readers in places like Lowndes and DeSoto counties. “People have been calling and asking, ‘Why can’t I access my books on Hoopla?’” said Erin Busbea, library director of the Columbus-Lowndes Public Library System.

“For most libraries that were using federal dollars, they had to curtail those activities," added Hulen Bivins, executive director of the Mississippi Library Commission.

California, Washington, and Connecticut were the only states formally notified that their remaining funding for the year had been canceled. All three states have filed objections with the agency.

“We are mystified,” said Rebecca Wendt, California’s state librarian. “The small library systems are not able to pay for the e-books themselves.”

The impact is being felt nationally. In 2023, more than 660 million people borrowed e-books, audiobooks, and digital magazines globally—up 19% from the previous year, according to OverDrive, the main distributor of digital content for libraries.

The freeze also puts on hold other federal initiatives supported by the IMLS, including the Laura Bush 21st Century Librarian Program, aimed at training a diverse generation of library professionals.

Attorneys general from 21 states and the American Library Association have filed lawsuits against the Trump administration, aiming to prevent the full dismantling of the agency. Still, uncertainty prevails.

“Library funding is never robust. It's always a point of discussion. It's always something you need to advocate for,” said Liz Doucett, library director at Curtis Memorial Library in Brunswick, Maine. “It's adding to just general anxiety.”

The IMLS, created in 1996 by a Republican-led Congress, distributes less than $150 million annually to state libraries. Its sudden defunding has left many institutions scrambling for answers—and for dollars.