Court Victory for American Libraries, the Institute of Museum and Library Services

In late January, the Trump administration appealed the decision rendered in Rhode Island v. Trump. Judge John J. McConnell issued a permanent injunction in the case in November, directing that the administration could not further dismantle the IMLS and that all grant funding must be restored. The IMLS, which lost more than half of its already-slim staff, would continue operations as it did before the March dismantling.

Rhode Island v. Trump was one of two filed in the wake of the administration’s dismantling of the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), the only federal agency dedicated to public libraries and museums.

There’s been a big update to the appeal. As of today–nearly a year to the date from the case’s first filing–the Trump administration has dropped its appeal. This means the decision rendered by Judge McConnell last fall stands.

This is hugely celebratory and is one step in the right direction toward protecting public libraries nationwide and another toward protecting the IMLS.

The victory is worth cheering, but it comes on the heels of the Trump administration’s proposed 2027 budget, which would defund the IMLS altogether. The decision to withdraw the appeal is likely based on the assumption that defunding the agency will allow its closure, rather than direct action.

“Today’s action finally lays to rest President Trump’s executive order that threatened countless library services available to anyone who walks into one of our nation’s 115,000 public, school, academic, and other libraries. This is a triumph for everyone who values access to information, education, and opportunity. Libraries can move forward with confidence that IMLS funding will be available to sustain the vital services communities rely on,” said Sam Helmick, President of the American Library Association. “However, we cannot forget that President Trump is still asking Congress to end funding for IMLS. That decision is partly in the hands of constituents. Library supporters must call on Congress to protect the future of IMLS.”  

Rhode Island v. Trump was the first lawsuit filed following the IMLS’s dismantling. Still in the courts is the second, American Library Association v. Sonderling. Plaintiffs in the case won a temporary restraining order last May, but the case is still pending. It will be interesting to keep an eye on this case, given the withdrawal of the appeal in Rhode Island and the proposed zeroing of the IMLS budget for next year.

You can find a full timeline of the attacks on the IMLS here, and you can take action to protect the institution and the libraries it serves through the ideas here.