Trump cuts could mean Kentucky libraries, universities and museums lose millions
President Donald Trump signed an executive order Friday targeting funding of several federal agencies, including the agency that provides the only federal funding for libraries and museums.
That may mean Kentucky libraries and museums could lose millions in grants. KY libraries, universities and museums received $4.3 million through the agency, according to federal data.
The Institute of Museum and Library Services gives grants annually to museums and libraries for a host of programs and services. It also gives money annually through a state block grant to the Kentucky Department for Libraries and Archives.
In his order, Trump said the seven agencies “shall be eliminated to the maximum extent consistent with applicable law” and “reduce the performance of their statutory functions and associated personnel to the minimum presence and function required by law.” Other agencies named in the executive order include the United States Agency for Global Media and the Minority Business Development Agency.
The Institute of Museum and Library Services gave more than $266 million in grants to libraries and museums, according to its website.
The agencies had seven days from Friday to provide the Office of Management and Budget more detailed information about the proposed cuts, according to the order.
The move is part of a much broader effort by Trump and multi-billionaire Elon Musk’s U.S. Department of Government Efficiency, DOGE, to ax federal spending and trim the federal workforce.
The bulk of the funding goes to the state for KY Libraries
According to the Institute of Museum and Library Services, the following KY libraries and museums receive federal funding through various grants:
- $2.7 million to Kentucky Department for Archives and Library Services
- $249,700 Speed Art Museum in Louisville
- $150,415 Kentucky Geological Survey at the University of Kentucky
- $410,294 UK School of Information Science
- $122,632 UK William T. Young Library
- $249,388 Kentucky Department for Archives and Library Services
- $202,640 Chief Officers of State Library Services
- $249,999 Chief Officers of State Library Services
The $2.7 million grant to the Kentucky Department for Archives and Library Services supports the department’s day-to-day operations, according to federal data.
In 2025, the Department for Archives and Library Services total budget was $27.5 million, according to state budget documents. It lists $3 million in federal funding, some of which is carry-over funding from prior years. Federal funding appears to be 10% of the department’s overall funding.
Officials with the KY Department for Archives and Library Services did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The $410,294 grant for the UK School of Information Science was for a research project involving trustees of public libraries
The $122,632 grant to William T. Young Library, was for a grant studying and preserving marginalized Appalachian voices.
The $150,000 grant to the KY Geological Survey was to help it save more than 200 years of geological data it had collected.
Jay Blanton, a spokesperson for UK, said as of Tuesday morning the university had received no notice those grants would be terminated.
Librarians push back
The American Library Association, one of the largest groups representing libraries, urged Trump and Congressional leaders to restore funding to the agency in a statement released Saturday.
Libraries provide more than just books, the group argued. They also provide fast, reliable Internet service, early education programs, summer reading programs, job training and resume classes and serve as a community meeting place and hub.
The Institute of Museum and Library Services’ budget is a tiny portion of the federal budget but is one of the most popular public services, the association said. Public and other libraries have 1.2 billion visits annually and even more virtual visits, the association said.
“ALA implores President Trump to reconsider this short-sighted decision. We encourage U.S. Congress members, Senators and decision-makers at every level of government to visit the libraries that serve their constituents and urge the White House to spare the modest federal funding for America’s libraries,” the statement said.
EveryLibrary, a group that helps public libraries with ballot measures, also urged Trump and Congress to reconsider, saying the grants to state libraries are necessary and were codified in the 2018 Museum and Library Services Act by Congress.
“This means that Congress enacted the Museum and Library Services Act to strengthen and support state libraries, including their vital work supporting inter-library loans, statewide databases and collections, and systems of support to individual public, school, and academic libraries,” EveryLibrary said in its Saturday release. “Without this core federal funding for state libraries, museums, and archives, we risk losing critical programs and services in every state.”
