Doge Ax comes for libraries and museums

Trump administration, works in coordination with Elon Musk The so -called Ministry of Governmental efficiencyThe destruction of a small federal agency provides financing for libraries and museums throughout the country. In societies throughout the United States, discounts are threatened for students, classes for the elderly, and access to famous digital services, such as The application of the Electronic Book Libyan.

On Monday, the directors of the IMLS and libraries Institute (IMLS) informed 77 employees – in terms of the agency’s entire employees – that they were immediately placed on a paid administrative leave, according to a worker, who sought not to identity for fear of revenge on Trump officials. Several other sources confirmed this step, which came after the appointment of President Donald Trump Keith Sonderling, Deputy Minister of Labor, as the Acting Director of IMLS less than two weeks ago.

Sonderling and a group of DOGE employees said that a representative of the American Federation of local government employee 3403, a federation that represents about 40 IMLS employees. After that, Sonderling sent an email to the employees “with a focus on the importance of libraries and museums in developing the next generation of the American and national exception,” the representative of the Union said in a statement to WIRE.

The employee says that the IMLS employees who came to work on the agency on Monday were asked to run their computers and lost access to their governmental email addresses before they were asked to go home for this day. It is not clear when, or if, employees will return to work. The employee adds: “It is a disgusting thing at many levels,” the employee added.

The White House and the Museum Services Institute and libraries immediately did not respond to the WIRED suspension requests.

IMLS’s annual budget is less than one dollar per person in the United States. In general, the agency granted more than 269.5 million dollars to library and museum systems last year, according to what it said Grant Database. The current IMLS employee says, but no one is around him to cut checks that have already been allocated, many of these money are paid as fees over time.

“The status of grants granted in advance is unclear. Without program management employees, most grants are likely to be terminated,” 3403

About 65 percent of funding is allocated to different countries, with everything aimed at getting at least $ 1.2 million. The recipient can use funds for the state levels or transfer them to the museum institutions and local libraries to cover expenses such as employee training and back office programs. California and Texas got the highest allocated financing, about $ 12.5 million and $ 15.7 million, respectively, according to IMLS data. Individual libraries and museums also receive direct grants from IMLS for specific projects.

It is expected that an artistic museum in Idaho is 10,350 dollars for support Field trips for studentsAccording to the IMLS grant database. A museum in North Carolina was allocated $ 23,500 Fabric workshops and arts fiber For the elderly. A community of indigenous people in California is expected to put $ 10,000 Towards buying books and electronic resources.