The Howe Library, Hanover’s town library, may experience changes and cuts to its services following a March 14 executive order signed by President Trump which will substantially reduce funding to the Institute of Museum and Library Services.
The IMLS is a government agency and was previously the largest source of monetary support for public libraries across the country. Following the signing of the executive order, the entire staff of the IMLS was placed on leave, which may result in cuts to services available in all public libraries across the country.
Howe director Rubi Simon said the state library in Concord “manages the IMLS federal funds” and distributes them to public libraries throughout New Hampshire. According to Simon, the budget cuts will affect the interlibrary loaning system, which allows for the exchange of materials between different libraries, and Libby, an online service that provides the Howe with a vast selection of ebooks and audiobooks. Talking Books, a service that supplies audiobooks for individuals with visual impairments, also relies on IMLS funding.
Simon said the potential loss of access to Libby would be a significant loss for the Howe because online books have become more popular in recent years.
“Without [Libby], we’ll probably not be at the level of service that we’re offering now,” Simon said.
The future of these services remains uncertain. Simon expressed frustration with the precariousness of the situation.
“We just don’t know,” she said. “We’re kind of on hold right now — we’re just kind of waiting for the state to give us an update on where things stand.”
The Howe Library sent out an email to its members on March 26 that explained the potential ramifications of the executive order. According to Simon, the Howe received an outpouring of support, with many members expressing that they were “concerned” by the possible loss of certain library services.
“When this came out, we had a huge surge of emails and people coming into the library and calling and generally affirming their support for us,” Simon said.
Sayan Bhattacharya ’28, who grew up in Hanover, recalled fond memories at the Howe Library.
“[The Howe] support[s] the community a lot,” Bhattacharya said. “To hear that [funding cuts] are hitting something like a public library, which shouldn't really be a nuisance to anybody and only offer services that at least I think helps people, is alarming.”
Lydia Cramer ’27 said she frequently studies at the Howe Library.
“The librarians there are always very lovely and helpful,” she said. “I think it’s a very important place in the community and a ‘third place’ for a lot of people.”
Simon conveyed the importance of community members taking on an active role in combating the funding cuts directed towards the IMLS.
“Having the community reach out to their local representatives and letting them know how important [the library] is to them is the key piece,” Simon said.
While the future remains uncertain, Simon pledged that the Howe will continue to work towards providing services, even if certain resources such as Libby are limited or unavailable.
“We know that, at least from our standpoint, people use these resources, so we’re going to try the best that we can to continue to offer, or find different ways to be able to offer, what we’re doing now,” Simon said.
Simon said the Howe will maintain a variety of “upcoming programming for the spring,” including their summer reading program, in spite of potential budget cuts.
“We’re going to try to keep those events going as much as possible,” Simon said. “Those are the positive things we’re still able to do.”
