A MoveOn petition, started by long-time librarian and MoveOn member, is calling on the Trump administration and Republican lawmakers to maintain federal funding for libraries and museums in Washington.
“The Trump administration is continuing to leave working people out in the cold while they make America great for billionaires,” said MoveOn spokesperson Britt Jacovich. “Slashing millions of dollars in funding for Washington libraries that serve children, seniors, and people with disabilities with essential programming and resources is callous, cruel and consistent with the richest man in the world’s cuts to Medicaid, SNAP and Meals on Wheels.”
The petition comes in response to a recent executive order from President Trump, which instructs the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) — the only federal agency solely dedicated to supporting libraries and museums — to dramatically scale back its operations.
You can view the petition here. It currently has 32,808 signatures, with 1,234 petition signers from Washington.
As a result of the executive order, $3.9 million in funding from the IMLS for Washington libraries and museums was terminated. In the state, IMLS funding supports assistive technology, access to BARD (Braille and Audio Reading Download) information, assistive technology workshops and more. According to Marci Carpenter, the president of the National Federation of the Blind of Washington, the cuts in Washington will disproportionately harm people with disabilities and reduce access to these critical resources.
Public libraries rely on federal funding for essential programming—from early childhood literacy programs and high-speed internet access to job search support, small business resources, and educational tools for students and educators. Museums, in addition to being cultural institutions, serve as hubs of learning, drive tourism, create jobs, and boost local economies.
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Source: Unbendable Media
Author: Lynnwood Times Staff
