📚Education Department zeros out IMLS funding for 123,000 public libraries

Federal grants that keep 9,000 rural libraries operational disappear when Trump eliminates the $180 million program. Small towns lose their only internet access points, literacy programs, and community meeting spaces when federal support ends, creating information deserts that isolate rural Americans from digital participation and educational opportunities.

Local censorship groups gain power to remove books from public libraries when federal grants no longer require compliance with First Amendment principles. Religious and political minorities lose access to materials that reflect their experiences while librarians face termination for refusing to eliminate books that offend political majorities.

Public libraries provide internet access for 28% of Americans who cannot afford home broadband, particularly low-income families and elderly residents. Federal funding cuts eliminate these digital access points precisely when government services, job applications, and educational resources move online, excluding vulnerable populations from participation in modern society.

Adult education classes, childhood reading programs, and English language learning courses that operate through public libraries face elimination when federal funding ends. These services cannot be replaced by local budgets in low-income communities, creating permanent barriers to educational advancement for populations that depend on free public programs.