11/17/25-- (Adapted from ALA)

The 43-day federal government shutdown – the longest in history – has now ended. Late Wednesday, Congress passed a Continuing Resolution (CR) to reopen and fund government operations.  

What does that mean for libraries?  

• Funding for libraries, including programs administered by the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), will restart in the coming days as employees return to work.  

• IMLS will resume administering state library grants that support interlibrary lending, shared digital resources, and other vital services through state library agencies.

Let's be clear that Congress did not agree on a new budget for FY 2026: they agreed to continue temporarily funding some programs at last year’s funding levels.  

• Upside: Libraries aren’t losing IMLS funds. When the government reopens, IMLS funding will continue at Fiscal Year (FY) 2025 levels.  

• Downside: The “fix” is temporary. The CR funds only three of 12 appropriations bills for FY 2026, which means Congress will need to pass nine spending bills or face yet another shutdown on February 1, 2026, for most government programs, including library programs.  

Library Legislative Day 2025 Group Photo

MLA supports efforts of advocacy for the mission of ALL Minnesota’s libraries. MLA advocates for critical funding, intellectual freedom, access to information, and school media specialists in every school. 

The Legislative Committee ensures that all types of libraries are included in the legislative process.   This committee, along with a host of other volunteers have worked together to create these following documents and experiences to help guide library advocates during the legislative process.