Issued by the Michigan Museums Association on April 1, 2025

The decision to place the entire staff of the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) on administrative leave is an outrageous and reckless move that threatens the very institutions it was created to support. The Michigan Museums Association staff and board condemn this unprecedented action, which disrupts essential funding, programming, and resources that countless museums, libraries, and communities depend on. IMLS is a federally authorized agency, legally established and funded by Congress, with a critical mandate to support cultural and educational institutions across the nation. It is unacceptable for an agency of this importance to be thrown into chaos without a clear, public justification. Immediate action must be taken to restore IMLS operations before irreparable harm is done.

We urge you to contact your members of Congress to demand transparency, accountability, and the swift reinstatement of IMLS staff. Our communities cannot afford this disruption, and we must take action now.

Issued by the Michigan Library Association on March 18, 2025

On March 14, 2025, President Trump issued an Executive Order (EO) that adversely affects the only federal agency that provides resources to our nation’s libraries, museums, and archives. The EO “Continuing the Reduction of the Federal Bureaucracy” directs the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) to eliminate non-statutory programs and reduce its functions and personnel to the minimum required by law. For IMLS, this would mean a dramatic reduction in its scope and capacity to support our nation's cultural institutions. Libraries and museums across the country will feel the effects of these cuts, particularly in areas reliant on discretionary funding and special initiatives.

Michigan receives modest federal funding from IMLS, but our 397 public library systems, 87 academic libraries, nearly 3,000 school libraries, 650 museums, and hundreds of historical organizations pride themselves on using these resources efficiently and innovatively to deliver outstanding programs and services. The changes to IMLS ordered in the EO would be devastating to the cultural and literary landscape enjoyed by all Michigan residents.

What is at stake if IMLS reduces its workforce and dismantles programming, funding, and services to our libraries, museums, and archives? 

Close to $2.25 million/year in individual grants to our libraries, and an additional $1.77 million/year for our museums and archives could be affected.

In addition, the Library of Michigan may be adversely affected if the $4.78 million Grants to States were to cease including:

• the Michigan Electronic Library (MeL and MeLCat) – a centralized catalog and resource-sharing service (inter-library loan) created to lend and share materials among all types of libraries in Michigan 
• MeL databases that are used extensively by our academic and school libraries  
• travel stipends for library staff to attend professional development opportunities to stay current with trends that affect the profession 
• funding for cohorts on financial sustainability, digital literacy, artificial intelligence, and public library management 
• excellent training and educational opportunities for all library workers through participation in Niche Academy offerings

We strongly support continued funding and staffing and implore President Trump to rescind this Executive Order. Our goal is to ensure that the IMLS continues to fund worthy and essential library, museum, and archival programs that benefit Michigan communities well into the future.

In Fiscal Year 2024, the government spent $6.75 trillion, exceeding its revenue and resulting in a deficit. While the stated purpose of the EO is to reduce bureaucracy and waste, it is unreasonable to target the federal funding allocated to libraries and museums that represents just a tiny fraction – approximately 0.0043% in FY 2024 – of the federal budget. This minimal investment supports institutions that are vital to education, cultural preservation, and community enrichment.

While funding for the remainder of Fiscal Year 2025 (ending Sept. 2025) has been appropriated to the IMLS in the newly approved Continuing Resolution, we have no guarantees of funding for IMLS in the Fiscal Year 2026 budget.

It is time to take a stand and speak up today by calling, writing, emailing, visiting, or sending a letter to your federal elected officials. We encourage you to use one of the links below that have been set up by various national organizations.

Contact your legislators and tell them to continue fully funding IMLS – both discretionary programs and those explicitly mandated by law. Don’t forget that your communication will be stronger by adding your own words, and how this will affect you, your cultural institution, and your community.

American Library Association:

https://app.oneclickpolitics.com/campaign-page?cid=9CyapZUB9sorxFLO4J0c&lang=en

EveryLibrary:

https://action.everylibrary.org/saveimls2025

American Association for State and Local History:

https://www.congressweb.com/aam/94/

American Alliance of Museums:

https://www.congressweb.com/aam/95/

Collectively, we the undersigned, stand together and call on all Michiganders who value reading, learning, history, and enrichment to take a stand in support of our libraries, museums, and archives. We urge President Trump to rescind the EO targeting IMLS and implore Congress to continue fully funding IMLS at levels that protect both discretionary and statutory programs. 

Sincerely,

Deborah E. Mikula

Executive Director, Michigan Library Association

Steven Bowers

President, Library Cooperatives of Michigan

Christine Beachler

President, Michigan Association of School Librarians

Mies Martin

President, Michigan Academic Library Association

Lisa Craig Brisson

Executive Director, Michigan Museums Association

Elizabeth Nicholson Green

President, Michigan Archival Association

Larry J. Wagenaar

Executive Director and CEO, Historical Society of Michigan

Issued by the American Alliance of Museums on March 17, 2025.

NOW is the time to speak up for museums! 

On March 14, President Trump issued an Executive Order (EO), Continuing the Reduction of the Federal Bureaucracy, directing further cuts to the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), an agency that is already operating at a minimum level, making up only 0.0046% of the overall federal budget. IMLS efficiently provides critical resources to libraries and museums in all 50 states and territories.  This EO would essentially gut IMLS within seven days.  We are in communication with our coalition partners, agency contacts, and champions on Capitol Hill to assess the full impacts of the Executive Order and will provide updates on our webpage.

What you can do NOW:

1. Call your members of Congress. Find their phone numbers and a draft script here. Members of Congress are home this week, so be sure to contact their federal AND district offices!
2. Write your members of Congress. Get started with our template letter and PERSONALIZE it with your stories! These emails have significantly more impact when you customize them and tell YOUR story to YOUR elected officials.
3. Write your state and local officials using our template letter.
4. Call your state and local officials.  Find their phone numbers and a draft script here.
5. Get your museum's supporters involved! You can find template language for your email and social media outreach here.

Share this information with your entire staff and board, and urge them to take action TODAY!

Issued by the American Alliance of Museums on 4/10/26

President’s Budget Released and Appropriations Updates

On April 3, the President released his FY2027 budget request, which once again proposed eliminating IMLS, NEA and NEH. The President’s budget lays out the desired goals of the administration, but it is ultimately up to Congress to fund the agencies. Read AAM’s statement.

Congress has continuously chosen to fund the agencies despite the President’s request to eliminate funding. This is thanks to advocacy efforts from the museum ecosystem. Now is one of the key times to contact Congress to ensure these agencies get funded.

Senate: The Senate is currently circulating a Dear Colleague letter for Senators to sign supporting funding for the Office of Museum Services at IMLS. The Senate letter closes on April 17. Write to your Senators and encourage them to sign the letter.

House: The House Dear Colleague letter circulated for signers last month. This year’s letter had 133 members of the House sign the letter, which is 10 more than last year. See if your House member signed the letter.

Want to learn more about the Appropriations process? Check out AAM’s most recent advocacy webinar “Appropriations 101: The Process of Funding the Federal Government”

Take Action: Encourage Congress to Support Museum Funding

For Museums, Associations, and Companies:

Sign your organization onto the community letter supporting museum funding (only if you have approval or authority to do so)

For Individuals: Send an email to your members of Congress and make sure to personalize the letter.

Write to Congress to Encourage Support for Funding of the Office of Museum Services at IMLS

Write to Congress to Encourage Support for Funding for NEA and NEH

Special Note: Inviting your members of Congress to visit your museum is a valuable opportunity. AAM encourages museums to invite their representatives to visit their museum in the month of August. We will be sending out more information in next month’s Advocacy Alert about Invite Congress 2026, but you should start thinking about participating now.

Good News! Administration Withdraws Appeal in IMLS Case

The Trump Administration has withdrawn IMLS from its appeal in the Rhode Island v. Trump court case. This means that the ruling reinstating IMLS, its staff, and grants will remain in place. This is a big win for museums!

Upcoming Advocacy Programming at AAM Annual Meeting & MuseumExpo

Are you coming to AAM 2026 in Philadelphia in May? Check out the advocacy and government relations sessions and activities:

• Government Relations and Policy 101 with AAM Staff, May 21 from 8:30-9:30 am. Learn about the interconnectivity of the federal government and advocacy. Delve into ongoing efforts to expand awareness of museums’ importance as economic drivers, educational spaces, and centers of culture and community—and how you can help.
• Advocacy & Policy Roundtable Conversations, May 22 from 11:00 am-12:00 pm. Come have facilitated conversations about museum advocacy and policy with your colleagues from across the country and network.
• Advocacy Open House, May 21 from 4-5 pm. Questions about museum advocacy and policy or just want to meet AAM’s Advocacy and Government Relations staff? Stop by the AAM Resource Center in the Expo Hall.
• Write Your Representatives. AAM will have a setup in the AAM Resource Center for attendees to write their members of Congress.

Advocacy Tip of the Month: It’s Okay to Not Know the Answer

If a lawmaker or their staff ask you a question during a meeting, it’s okay not to know the answer. They do not expect you to know the answer to every question they ask. Let them know you will find out and get back to them. This leads to an excellent follow-up opportunity to continue the conversation outside of the meeting and continue to build relationships with the lawmaker or their staff.

Issued by the American Alliance of Museums on 3/11/26

Take Action: Contact Congress as the FY27 Funding Process Kicks Off

Congress has begun the Appropriations process for Fiscal Year 2027 (FY27). The House of Representatives’ Dear Colleague letter in support of $55 million in funding for the Office of Museum Services (OMS) at IMLS started circulating late last week with a deadline of Monday, March 16 for members of the House to sign on to the letter. The Senate version should begin circulating in the coming days; the deadline for that letter is not yet known. It is important to get as many members of Congress to sign onto these letters as possible. Please contact your Representatives and urge them to sign onto the OMS funding letters.

Why are these Dear Colleague letters important? The Appropriations process starts with Congressional offices signing onto these Dear Colleague letters that are sent to the Appropriations Committee in support of various programs and agencies. The committee takes into account the number of members supporting each letter when determining funding levels for agencies and programs. This time of year, there are hundreds of Dear Colleague letters circulating on Capitol Hill. With so many competing priorities, it is critical to have as many bipartisan signatures as possible to sign onto the OMS letter.

Write Congress to Support OMS Funding

Note: The NEA and NEH Dear Colleague letters are also circulating for members of Congress to sign onto. Those letters are requesting $213 million each for those agencies. Write Congress to Support NEH and NEA Funding

Upcoming Webinar: Appropriations 101 – The Process of Funding the Federal Government

March 19, 2026 at 2:00pm ET

Have you seen our alerts asking you to contact Congress but wonder how the process of funding the Federal Government works? Join this webinar to learn about the process and how you can advocate to support museums!

Register for Webinar

GAO Report on the State of Museum Facilities Released

On March 10, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) released a much-anticipated report on the state of museum facilities.

According to the report, nearly 85% of museums have a backlog of maintenance and repair needs, and 77% believe that this backlog could damage collections. Only 11% expect this backlog to shrink in the next 3 years. These findings emphasize the risk of deferred maintenance and repairs to collections, and the lack of federal funding currently available for these critical projects.

This report reinforces the need to continue funding the Institute of Museum and Library Services, and the great need to increase federal funding to support museum infrastructure and secure our cultural heritage. 

This report was done at the request of Congress and the results of the study will help inform future Congressional funding and legislation.

Read the GAO Report

Successful Advocacy: Museums Advocacy Day Recap

Museums Advocacy Day 2026 was another successful event, with more than 300 participants visiting more than 300 Congressional offices. Huge thank you to all of our 2026 sponsors and supporters. This event provides attendees a great opportunity to learn about policy and advocacy, build connections with Congressional offices, and network with colleagues from across the country and across the museum ecosystem.

The Monday programming kicked off with a passionate and energizing speech from Rep. Paul Tonko, co-chair of the Congressional Museum Caucus, plus opening remarks from Marilyn Jackson, AAM President & CEO, and Veronica Nichols, Event Networks Executive Vice President of Strategic Growth. AAM staff provided key training on core advocacy skills and this year’s priority policy asks. The afternoon included an informative panel with Congressional staff, a panel of representatives from the top-level event supporters, and AAM staff hosting a community town hall to answer attendee questions. Attendees then ended the day by meeting with their state groups to prepare for the next day’s meetings.

Tuesday Congressional Visits started with a Congressional Breakfast, where the Congressional Award recipients received their plaques (see below) and then attendees began walking the halls of Congress, meeting with members of Congress and their staff. Many attendees reported feeling inspired by the positive feedback from their Congressional offices.

Advocacy Leadership Awards: AAM gives out several Advocacy Leadership Awards each year at Museums Advocacy Day to individuals and associations. This year’s awardees:

• Alexandra Coon, Executive Director, Massillon Museum
• American Association for State and Local History (John Marks, Vice President of Research and Engagement, accepted on behalf of AASLH)

Congressional Awards: AAM recognizes several members of Congress each year during Museums Advocacy Day for their support of museums. This year’s awardees:

• Rep. Chellie Pingree (D-ME)
• Rep. Mike Turner (R-OH), co-chair of the Congressional Museum Caucus

Advocacy Tip of the Month: Navigating Competing Congressional Priorities

While it is sometimes frustrating to keep sending letters to members of Congress about funding for IMLS, NEH, and NEA throughout the year, it is a necessary part of advocacy. The funding cycle happens every year and there are multiple key time frames during the year when advocacy is needed the most. Congress has to weigh the needs of its constituents when deciding between the many competing priorities. To ensure your key agencies or programs aren’t left behind, you have to continue to contact them to remind them why providing funding for museums is so valuable to their constituents. Even though it feels repetitive, it is a necessary part of the process.

Issued by the American Alliance of Museums on 2/25/26

Amplify Museum Voices

This week, hundreds of your museum colleagues participated in Museums Advocacy Day in Washington, DC meeting with Congressional representatives, and YOU can back them up by sending letters to or calling your members of Congress on the same issues they are discussing. The more constituents a member of Congress hears from, the more likely they will act.

Write to your members of Congress on the following issues:

• Join the Congressional Museums Caucus
• Support Funding for the IMLS Office of Museum Services
• Support the CREATIVE Act

Learn about other ways you can engage your members of Congress by visiting AAM’s Advocacy Resources webpage.

Engage with Members of Congress Locally

If you couldn’t make it to Washington, DC, for Museums Advocacy Day, you can still engage with members of Congress in their home districts during breaks in the legislative sessions to take meetings, visit local businesses and attending events.

What is the difference between meeting with members of Congress in DC versus at home in their districts? Both play an important role in maintaining relationships with the office. Meetings in DC are policy focused. Engaging with members of Congress in their districts, are often more about getting to know the museum. These meetings are often less-policy focused than ones in DC.

Meet in the Local Offices: Members of Congress have at least one office in their districts. You can arrange to meet with their staff or try to get a meeting with the member when they are back in their district.

Invite Congress 2026: Invite your members of Congress to visit your museum when they are in their home districts in August. This is a great opportunity for them to see your museum and engage with your staff. We will be launching Invite Congress 2026 this spring, so keep your eyes open for Invite Congress resources in the coming months.

Community Sign-On Letter—Coming Soon

In the next few weeks, AAM will be launching a community sign-on letter supporting museum funding and advocating for IMLS to remain an independent agency as intended by Congress and its Charter. Our 2017 field wide letter had more than 940 signatures and we hope to have even more. More information will be included in the March Advocacy Alert.

Year-Round Advocacy: Advocating at All Levels of Government

Advocacy is a long-term effort that involves cultivating relationships across all levels of the government and engaging consistently.

Here are a few ways you can keep up momentum year-round:

• Attend City Council or County Board Meetings: Getting to know your local officials is an easy step in long-term advocacy, which not only is important for advocacy on the local level but your local officials might run for higher office one day including state legislature or run for Congress so already having a relationship with them when that happens can go a long way.
• Invite Government Officials and Legislators to your Museum: While Invite Congress is focused on members of Congress, you can do something similar with your elected officials at any level of government.
• Engage your Board: Board members are often your biggest champions. Learn more about engaging your Board.

Issued by the American Alliance of Museums on 2/13/26

IMLS, NEA, NEH Funding Bills Signed Into Law

Huge win for museums! Congress has passed, and the President has signed into law, the Fiscal Year 2026 (FY26) Appropriations Bills funding the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), National Endowment of the Arts (NEA), National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH), National Park Service (NPS), and the science agencies that provide STEM funding to museums. Most of the programs that fund museums received the same funding as the previous year or a minor decrease, despite the President’s Budget Request to significantly reduce or eliminate some of these agencies and programs.

These successes are all thanks to our collective advocacy efforts—all of your letters, phone calls, and Congressional meetings. Your outreach showed your representatives that their constituents value the museums in their communities. Please take a minute to send a thank you note to your members of Congress for their support of museum funding.

Thank Congress For Supporting Museum Funding

Administration Appeals Court Ruling on IMLS

The Administration recently filed an appeal against the November 21, 2025, permanent injunction ruling (see ruling recap below). The permanent injunction will stay in place until the court considers the Administration’s appeal.

Recap of Ruling:

On November 21, 2025, the U.S. District Court for the District of Rhode Island granted a permanent injunction in Rhode Island vs Trump stating attempts to dismantle the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) were unlawful, unconstitutional, and in direct violation of Congress’s clear statutory directives. The injunction prevents the Administration from further carrying out the Executive Order relating to IMLS and vacates the Administration’s actions.

The Administration complied with the ruling and has reinstated the terminated grants.

Advocate from Anywhere: Supporting Museums Advocacy Day from Home

This Museums Advocacy Day, back up your colleagues on Capitol Hill by advocating from home! We will be sending out a Special Edition Advocacy Alert during Museums Advocacy Day with information on how you can help advocate from where you are. The alert will go out on February 23, so keep your eye out for it.

In the meantime, we encourage you to check out some of our previous Advocacy Training webinars:

• Advocacy 101: Getting to know the basics (September 24, 2025)
• Year-Round Advocacy: Being An Effective Advocate (July 24, 2025)
• In-District Advocacy: Advocating to State and Federal Lawmakers (May 29, 2025)

Advocacy Tip of the Month: Thank You Can Go a Long Way

Whenever you are meeting with your lawmakers or their staff, it is a good idea to start off the meeting with a simple thank you, even if it is for something small. People are more likely to listen and take in your message if you come across as friendly, even when they don’t agree with your position. And always thank them for their time. While meeting with constituents is part of their job, a genuine “thank you” can help lower barriers and set a more productive tone.

Issued by the American Alliance of Museums on 1/9/26

Last Chance to Register for Museums Advocacy Day 2026

Registration Deadline is January 16, 2026

Museums Advocacy Day is your opportunity to show up for the field. Together with your peers, you’ll be building relationships with lawmakers and Congressional staff, raising your museum’s visibility, and strengthening your advocacy skills alongside colleagues from across the country.

Over the years, museum advocates have helped:

• Push back against efforts to eliminate critical federal agencies
• Secure billions in federal relief for museums and their communities
• Protect thousands of museum jobs nationwide

Those wins happened because museum professionals showed up, spoke up, and made the case that museums matter.

Be part of the next chapter of that impact.
Register for Museums Advocacy Day.

Show up. Speak out. Advocate.

Register Today

Appropriations Update: NEA, NEH, STEM Funding Bill Approaching the Finish Line; IMLS Funding Bill in Negotiations

Congress has officially started consideration of a three bill funding package for Fiscal Year 2026 (FY26). The three funding bills included in this package cover a number of agencies and grant programs of interest to museums including the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH), science agencies, National Park Service, and many of the historic preservation related programs. Thanks to strong collective advocacy efforts, many of these programs received the same funding as FY25, including the NEA and NEH, despite the President’s Budget Request to eliminate funding for these agencies. Several museums also received earmarks (Congressional Directed Spending) in the bill.

This bill passed the House on January 8 by a bipartisan vote of 397 to 28. The Senate is expected to consider this package this week.

Update on IMLS Funding for FY26: The funding bill that contains the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) is a massive funding bill that includes the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education. This bill is often one of the more difficult bills for Congress to negotiate and pass. The House and Senate had proposed similar funding levels for IMLS and the Office of Museum Services, which proposed only a minor decrease. While negotiations on this bill are ongoing, please continue to write to Congress encouraging them to fund the IMLS Office of Museum Services for FY26.

Tell Congress to Support IMLS Office of Museum Services

Advocacy Tip of the Month: Economic and Education Impact Statements

Do you have an economic and education impact statement for your museum? These statements are powerful advocacy tools at the federal, state, and local levels, helping lawmakers understand your museum’s value to the community. As we start a new year, now is a great time to prepare your impact statements, share them with your legislators, and invite them to visit your museum. View economic and education impact statement templates and samples.

Issued by the American Alliance of Museums on 12/12/25

MLA and a coalition of associations representing Michigan’s libraries, museums, and historical societies have sent a joint letter to Congressional leaders urging them to support funding the Institute of Museum and Library Services in FY 2026. 

Without IMLS support, schools, libraries, historical organizations, universities, and community colleges would face major challenges in sustaining these programs, especially those with limited local funding. The economies of scale that make these statewide services affordable would disappear. For example, the current cost of MeL database subscriptions statewide is $2,481,885 annually. If each institution were to purchase those resources independently, the total cost would skyrocket to $66,910,870. Michigan residents depend on these programs for education, career development, and access to reliable information. Continued federal funding through IMLS is essential to ensuring equal access for all.

 ______________________________________

Dear Congressman,

On behalf of a coalition of associations representing Michigan’s libraries, museums, and historical societies, we write today to urge your support for funding the Institute of Museum and Library Services.

On March 14, the federal administration issued an Executive Order (EO) titled “Continuing the Reduction of the Federal Bureaucracy”, which directs the IMLS to eliminate non-statutory programs and reduce its functions and personnel to the minimum required by law. Libraries, museums, archives, and historical organizations across the country will feel the effects of these cuts, as they support widely popular statewide programs that benefit Michiganders.

On May 2, the federal administration released its fiscal year 2026 discretionary budget, which calls for the complete elimination of IMLS funding. While lawsuits challenging the EO make their way through the courts, we believe it’s critical that Michigan’s Congressional leaders take a strong stance in defense of IMLS and all the communities it serves.

IMLS funds provide the majority of support for statewide programs that are used every day across public libraries, K-12 schools, and higher education. Michigan’s eLibrary (MeL) provides access to 85+ online databases that Michiganders rely on for workforce development, research, digitized newspapers, genealogy, homework help, and much more. In 2024, Michigan residents accessed 19 million+ trusted articles and journals through MeL. Michigan’s eLibrary Catalog (MeLCat) - our statewide interlibrary loan system - allows Michiganders in every corner of the state to borrow materials from other libraries. That program saw 1 million+ books and other materials shared between libraries in 2024.

The changes proposed in the EO and the FY26 budget would cause lasting harm to Michigan’s cultural and educational infrastructure. While the state receives relatively modest federal funding from IMLS, our 397 public libraries, 87 academic libraries, nearly 3,000 school libraries, 650 museums, and hundreds of historical organizations use these funds efficiently and creatively to provide valuable service to the public. In fact, for every dollar spent, $27.00 was returned to Michigan communities through these valuable services.

A June 2025 statewide poll commissioned by the Michigan Library Association also revealed broad support from Michigan residents for continued federal library funding. 78% of respondents said that IMLS funding from the federal government should remain as part of the federal budget.

Without IMLS support, schools, libraries, historical organizations, universities, and community colleges would face major challenges in sustaining these programs, especially those with limited local funding. The economies of scale that make these statewide services affordable would disappear. For example, the current cost of MeL database subscriptions statewide is $2,481,885 annually. If each institution were to purchase those resources independently, the total cost would skyrocket to $66,910,870. Michigan residents depend on these programs for education, career development, and access to reliable information. Continued federal funding through IMLS is essential to ensuring equal access for all.

We respectfully urge you to advocate for IMLS funding in the FY2026 federal budget. Thank you for your ongoing service to Michigan and our shared constituents.

Sincerely, 

Dillon Geshel
Interim Executive Director, Michigan Library Association

Christine Beachler            
President, Michigan Association of School Librarians

Lisa Craig Brisson                                                                          
Executive Director, Michigan Museums Association

Steven K. Bowers
Chair, Library Cooperatives of Michigan

Julie Garrison                                                             
President, Michigan Academic Library Association

Larry J. Wagenaar
Executive Director and CEO, Historical Society of Michigan

Elizabeth Nicholson Green
President, Michigan Archival Association

Download the letter (PDF).

Issued by the American Alliance of Museums on 8/15/25

For Immediate Release

Arlington, VA–Today, the American Alliance of Museums, the only organization representing the entire scope of the museum field, issued a statement in response to the growing threats of censorship against U.S. museums:

Our country’s 22,000 museums are cornerstones of their communities and are among the most trusted institutions in American life. They tell our nation’s stories from multiple perspectives, welcome people of all ages and backgrounds, contribute billions to the U.S. economy each year, serve communities both rural and urban, and protect the heritage we all share.

In recent months, museums have faced increasing external pressures to modify, remove, or limit exhibitions and programs. People trust museums because they rely on independent scholarship and research, uphold high professional standards, and embrace open inquiry. When any directive dictates what should or should not be displayed, it risks narrowing the public’s window into evidence, ideas, and a full range of perspectives.

This is not just a concern for select institutions. These pressures can create a chilling effect across the entire museum sector. Freedom of thought and expression are foundational American values, and museums uphold them by creating spaces where people can engage with history, science, art, and culture in ways that are honest, fact-based, and thought-provoking.

We stand with the hundreds of thousands of museum professionals in the U.S. who protect our heritage, conserve species, create unforgettable experiences, and serve their communities with integrity. We call on all who value our shared heritage to support the museum field in resisting censorship, so museums can continue to educate, connect, and inspire.

America needs museums and the professionals who steward them. They educate, connect, and help us understand one another—something we can’t afford to lose.

###

Issued by the American Association for State and Local History on 8/15/25

The White House’s latest, most concerted effort yet to bend the Smithsonian Institution to its will through a “comprehensive review” of content and policies—starting with its foremost museums of history, culture, and art—is an affront to our country’s cultural crown jewel, to history practitioners everywhere, and to the American people.

For nearly two centuries, the Smithsonian has served as a globally renowned model of scholarship and public engagement. Smithsonian museums and sites are beloved, trusted destinations for millions of visitors annually looking to gain knowledge, spark curiosity, and find connection. The administration is maligning the expertise and autonomy of an institution that represents the pinnacle of museum and scholarly practice.

This pressure on Smithsonian history museums, in particular, reveals the administration’s ambition to delegitimize the work of the history field and to rob the public of its ability to learn from the past. Sound historical practice depends upon meticulous research of a wide array of sources, open-minded embrace of complexity and ambiguity, and a willingness to update understandings as new information arises. Time and again, Americans have said that they want our country’s full story. Censoring and manipulating content to fit a predetermined, triumphalist narrative is the antithesis of historical practice and a disservice to us all.

The administration claims that its interference at the Smithsonian, National Park Service, and other federal cultural agencies is rooted in a commitment to “historical accuracy.” This is false. Through speciously worded executive orders, incendiary speeches, mass layoffs, funding cuts, and more, the White House has launched a steady campaign to break down our nation’s historical infrastructure and remake it in service of an exclusive, inaccurate vision of America’s past and present. We urge both our field and our audiences to reject this effort and stand up for a full and honest approach to our shared story.

Issued by the American Alliance of Museums on 6/13/25

Issued by the American Alliance of Museums on 6/10/2025

Issued by the American Alliance of Museums on 4/1/2025

Issued by the American Alliance of Museums on March 31, 2025.

On March 31, the entire Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) staff was placed on administrative leave.

Placing the entire staff on administrative leave raises questions as to whether the agency will be able to fulfill its legal obligations to disperse congressionally appropriated funding, leaving museums, libraries, and communities across the country at risk of losing vital resources.  

This move continues to undermine the will of the American people—96% of whom want to see federal funding for museums maintained or increased—and prevents American taxpayer dollars from reaching America’s communities.

IMLS makes up only 0.0046% of the federal budget and efficiently provides critical resources to libraries and museums in all 50 states and territories in communities rural to urban. The museum sector, in turn, generates $50 billion in economic impact. Museums are vital community anchors, serving all Americans, including youth, seniors, people with disabilities, and veterans. Museums are not only centers for education and inspiration but also economic engines—creating jobs, driving tourism, and strengthening local economies.

We are in communication with our coalition partners and other stakeholders to assess the sector’s legal options.