SEATTLE – The federal government has eliminated funding for a $3.9 million grant through the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) that supports the Washington State Library. This will impact rural and tribal libraries, state prison libraries, and the Washington Talking Book and Braille Library, among others. These cuts impacted only three states: Washington, California, and Connecticut, and are part of a larger push to dismantle the IMLS. On Friday, April 4, 2025, Washington Attorney General Nick Brown joined a multi-state lawsuit to prevent the disintegration of that agency.

Vanessa Torres Hernandez, integrated advocacy director for the ACLU of Washington had this reaction:

“Starving the Washington State Library harms our state and the entire country, today and into the future. Federal efforts to defund and dismantle the Washington State Library threaten access to knowledge and educational materials for many who rely on its services. This shortsighted decision hurts public safety, by reducing the ability of incarcerated people to access information that supports learning, rehabilitation, and growth. It diminishes our economy and the academic prospects of young people, as well as seniors, in rural and tribal communities across the state. Furthermore, it threatens access to books and other reading materials for those with low or no vision who rely on the Washington Talking Book and Braille library, the principle resource in Washington state for these critical materials, tools, and resources. Libraries are a critical institution for the health of a democratic society. They must be protected.”