How Federal Budget Cuts Could Impact Peninsula Community Library – And How You Can Help

Editor’s Note: Nancy Davy, a member of the Board of Trustees for Peninsula Community Library, updates us on how federal budget cuts could impact the library — and how you can help. Many thanks to Northern Express for letting us share part of Kierstin Gunsberg’s excellent feature about possible funding cuts for an important library service. Read on for more info. – jb

A recent article published in Northern Express about some of the potential changes libraries may face from Congress’s approval of the national budget caught my attention. I would like to share a portion of that article that is applicable to residents of the Old Mission Peninsula.

With permission from the author, Kierstin Gunsberg, and Northern Express, we are reprinting the opening overview of “Sharing Is Caring At the Library – Why A Heavily Used NoMi Library Service Might Disappear Next Fall,” published on August 25, 2025.

Some comments about the ways that Peninsula Community Library may be affected will be provided after the quoted section.

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From Kierstin’s article…

“With more than 400,000 books, movies, games, and curious finds (ukuleles! weaving looms!) available across the Traverse Area District Library (TADL) system, the six-branch network has almost everything.

“But for what it doesn’t have, there’s the Michigan Electronic Library Catalog, or MeLCat, a saving grace for anyone who’s ever stood in front of their friendly neighborhood librarian with an obscure title request.

“Launched in 2005, the service allows its 436 participating libraries across the state to exchange materials with one another through interlibrary loans.

“That means if a specific book is only available at a library downstate, a northern Michigan cardholder can still borrow it, pick it up at their local branch, and return it there. Once finished, it’s sent back to its home library.

“TADL cardholders request an average of 50 titles through MeLCat every day, and they’re on track to break their annual borrowing record, a number that’s climbed from 13,816 in 2020 to over 28,000 in 2024.

“It’s one way Michigan libraries expand access while saving money, treating libraries across the state as an extension of their own collections rather than purchasing materials that might otherwise collect dust on another shelf.

“And as it celebrates its 20th year, MeLCat may be in big trouble.”

MeLCat and the IMLS Funding Cuts

“From staff and programming to building operations, Michigan libraries are funded primarily by the people who use them through their local taxes. Then, to round everything out, a small amount of supplemental dollars comes in through the state, too.

“MeLCat is different, though. About three-quarters of its cost is covered by federal funds, provided by the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), which awards $4.8 million to The Library of Michigan annually. The Library of Michigan uses some of that money to administer MeLCat, which participating libraries can then use their own (locally provided) funds to purchase.

“But since the Trump administration moved in March 2025 to dismantle the IMLS — now partially restored while court battles play out — it leaves the programs that it funds, like MeLCat, hanging in the balance. For now, Michigan libraries are being told that IMLS funding, which accounts for between 0.003 – 0.005 percent of the total federal budget, is safe through September 2026.

“Whether or not it continues after that is up in the air.

“If the money does disappear, the Library of Michigan would lose a major chunk of its budget, making programs like MeLCat much harder to keep running.

“According to the Michigan Department of Education, the return on investment is $25 for every dollar spent on the MeLCat.”

What Is the IMLS?

“An independent federal agency founded in 1996 to support the educational, informational, and cultural reach of museums and libraries, the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) ‘envisions a nation where individuals and communities have access to museums and libraries to learn from and be inspired by the trusted information, ideas, and stories they contain about our diverse natural and cultural heritage.’

“IMLS’s budget appropriation table shows that they requested $280 million from Congress for fiscal year 2025. Some of their funding is also supported by private donors and organizations.

“Along with helping fund MeLCat, IMLS awards grants and provides research resources to institutions across the country, including northern Michigan’s own Dennos Museum Center, Leelanau Historical Museum, and the Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians.”

Impact on Peninsula Community Library

According to PCL Director Vicki Shurly, the people most affected by this would be any patron wanting to access materials outside of our library. This would be especially impactful to parents who home school their children, college students who use library materials to offset the cost of purchasing text books, and patrons who seek materials with information on unusual topics.

Remember, not everyone has easy access to the internet and YouTube videos. For that matter, it would seem that some digital content will probably be eliminated. MeL (Michigan Electronic Library) is a handy source for practice tests for ACT, SAT, graduate school entrance exams, and for various trades.

It remains to be seen, but these funding cuts could well eliminate the sharing of books even within the TADL system (Grand Traverse County). That would be a tremendous loss, as each library in the system has an ability to tailor their material selections with the knowledge that they have other resources close at hand.

The Michigan Library Association and other organizations have been urging members of Congress to recognize the need to continue to provide funding for library programs. The U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee has included a small increase and level funding for library programs.

Action from the U.S. House of Representatives would need to follow suit to make this happen. If you would like more information, the American Library Association’s Fund Libraries Campaign provides template language and a tool that would send an outreach email directly to your House Representative’s Office. Learn more and take action here.

Regardless of the direction these budget cuts might take, we hope that you have learned a bit more about your local library. If you have not utilized the MeL and the MeLCat system, stop by and any staff member can help you learn more about how to use it.

– Nancy Davy, a resident of the Old Mission Peninsula, a long-time supporter of the Peninsula Community Library, and an elected official of the PCL Board of Trustees

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