Federal order risks loss of history

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By CHRIS LEWIS
Guest Columnist

On March 14, an Executive Order was issued to reduce funding and essentially gut the Institute of Museum and Library Services, an independent federal agency that supports libraries, archives, and museums in all 50 states and U.S. territories.

These institutions rely on IMLS funding to preserve history, educate the public, and serve as community hubs, providing essential resources for students, seniors, veterans, and individuals with disabilities. They also serve as economic engines, supporting over 726,000 jobs and generating $50 billion in economic benefits.

Without IMLS, this vital work is at risk.

IMLS support is vital for organizations like mine, the Carmel-based Great American Songbook Foundation, to carry out its mission. In our efforts to celebrate the foundational era of American popular music, we maintain the vast Songbook Library & Archives and operate the Songbook Exhibit Gallery at the Payne & Mencias Palladium. We are in the planning for a stand-alone museum and visitor experience along the Monon Greenway that will be a national tourist attraction for Hamilton County.

Thanks to IMLS funding, the Songbook Foundation has achieved significant milestones, such as hiring a music librarian to process over 200,000 rare manuscripts and musical arrangements that would otherwise be lost to history, employing a processing archivist to address collections backlogs, and implementing a digital asset management system to make our collections more accessible to students, educators, researchers and music lovers around the world.

Despite its tremendous impact, IMLS makes up just 0.0046 percent of the federal budget. Yet, its funding enjoys broad bipartisan support – 96 percent of Americans want to maintain or increase federal funding for museums. Congress has consistently recognized the value of IMLS, and it is critical that it remains an independent, congressionally authorized agency.

Please email or call your members of Congress today and let them know how important IMLS is to you, your favorite museums and the communities they serve. The future of our cultural institutions depends on it.

Christopher Lewis is the executive director of the Great American Songbook Foundation in Carmel.