Are Colorado’s libraries safe from IMLS cuts?
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HUDSON, Colo. — Inside the spacious new Hudson Public LIbrary, one visitor read in front of an electric fireplace, another studied in a private meeting room and a young girl played in the designated children’s area, all while three staff members designed and printed acrylic letters to decorate the walls.
Outside, the three-winged library is almost entirely surrounded by an expanse of short-grass prairie in the near 1,000-person town of Hudson, Colorado.
“Our community doesn’t have a lot of places that allow for people to come together,” said Tami Crossen, the library director.
“So walking through you’ll see we have a fireplace, a community room… so the library is a meeting hub based on our community’s needs.”
Seventy-three percent of Colorado’s 100+ libraries are classified as small and/or rural, meaning they serve populations of fewer than 25,000 people. These libraries rely on a combination of federal and state funding, often in addition to local funds raised through taxes or other local sources.
Some of this money is allocated through the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), an independent federal agency that provides grant funding, policy development and research to libraries and museums across the country.
Last month, the Trump administration fired about 80% of the IMLS staff as part of its larger federal restructuring efforts to defund initiatives it considers “discriminatory,” “divisive” and “anti-American.”
Hudson is unique in that it is a home rule municipality, meaning the town retains independence from the state and county in making a number of decisions including instating municipal codes, annexing new properties and deciding town taxes.
Hudson established its library in 1952. Since then, the town has funded library upkeep and improvements through mill levy taxes, ensuring relative protection from state and federal funding fluctuations.
However, a number of other smaller, rural libraries that do depend on these grants are concerned about future funding.
Colorado’s unique state-operated funding may offer some stability and some hope.
Nicolle Davies, Colorado’s state librarian, is a lifelong library lover. Before assuming the role of state librarian in 2019, she worked at public libraries in South Carolina and Colorado. In 2016, the American Library Association named her the 2016 Librarian of the Year, making Davies the first Coloradan to receive the honor.
“In the library system, it’s cradle-to-grave in terms of service,” said Davies. “We’re there for the whole journey with no agenda… just to help people get what they need and to further themselves.”
The IMLS sends money through the Grants to State program, which provides more than $160 million to State Library Administrative Agencies across all 50 states, as well as agencies in American territories like Guam and Puerto Rico and in Freely Associated States including Micronesia and the Marshall Islands.
The amount of money each SLAA receives varies based on a base amount and state population size. Colorado received about $3.2 million in 2024. Larger states like California and Texas received about $15.7 million and $12.5 million, respectively.
In April, the Trump administration paused dozens of IMLS grants, which included funds for the Laura Bush 21st Century Librarian program’s trainings and Kansas City’s National World War I Museum and Memorial, among others.
According to Davies, this money should be safe because the Grants to State program are “statutory funds.”
“Discretionary funds have been cut around the country, [but] the statutory funds, we don't have a reason to believe yet that those will be impacted,” said Davies.
“So, if everything goes as it's supposed to, we would still be getting our $3.2 million.”
Yet some library workers are still nervous, particularly those working in smaller, more rural locations.
Barbara Bratten, the library director at the Ruby M. Sisson Library in Pagosa Springs, said this money is critical to supporting their collections and their operations.
“It’s a small town, you don’t have all the social service programs… so the question is, if [the state library] loses those dollars, what kinds of services will they have to cut and will we have to cut?”
Bratten is a 30-year veteran of the library services world and has worked in library systems across the country.
“There’s no state library like the Colorado State Library,” said Bratten, who added that she bragged about the state’s system while working elsewhere.
“It’s so ahead of the pack, so innovative and you have a general feeling of support here.”
She underlined Colorado’s State Grants to Libraries Act — distinct from the federal Grants to State program — which designates about $3 million from the state’s budget annually to “support efforts to improve literacy and learning” at Colorado public schools, and public and academic libraries.
The grant is formula-based, meaning the amount of money granted varies based on the applicant (though there is a $4,500 minimum). Last year, 316 institutions received funds totaling just under $3 million.
“Libraries do such a beautiful job in understanding the needs of their local community, and the idea of us getting this money back to local communities for them to make decisions based on what they’re community needs is best,” said Davies.
The Upper San Juan Library District — which includes the Ruby M. Sisson Library in Pagosa Springs — received just over $6,000 in 2024.
“That’s a tremendous amount when you consider that our entire budget is less than $1 million,” said Bratten.
This year, the money went towards Ruby M. Sisson’s “Summer Reading in a Box” program for kids, as well as supporting their physical and e-book collection.
Lamar School District RE-2 received $5,000, which it split evenly among its five school libraries.
Gabrielle Hammer-Neischberg, the district’s special programs coordinator, said they have received their $5,000 allotment each of her nine years in the role.
She said the money has been instrumental in building out the schools’ online resources, including adding digital encyclopedias with curriculum aligned learning games to school computers.
“Many students are in high-need because of their socio-economic status,” said Hammer-Neischberg. “The access of being able to read the newest titles and access support services is really important to their overall development.
There are about 7,500 people in the small southeastern-Colorado town of Lamar, and nearly 1,400 are enrolled in the school district. Of those enrolled, almost three-fourths qualify for free and reduced lunch.
Hammer-Neischberg emphasized the role that rural school libraries play in the community, including hosting community events and development opportunities.
“[The school library] is collaborative with all organizations, alumni come back to volunteer and support… but that’s par for the course when you’re rural like this,” said Hammer-Neischberg.
“Things like this can be make or break for kids when they feel like they have that collaborative type of support from multiple places… and feel empowered by our school system.”
Both Crossen and Bratten stressed the impact of libraries in smaller, more remote communities, beyond checking out books and movies.
Bratten highlighted the almost-daily technology programming for seniors, and Hudson Public Library’s Create HQ Makerspace boasts a 3D printer, and Epilog laser cutter and a cricut machine.
“We frequent the library quite a bit. We love the library,” said Mimi Lin, a mother of two who brings her six and four year old children to the Hudson Public Library multiple times a month.
“The staff is always working together to put on different activities, we love the playing area, we walk away with like 30 to 40 books every time… it kind of gets [the kids] a space where they can explore and opens them up to creativity.”
Davies and the state library are working on offering telehealth services at some branches and are building out an audiobook service designed for visually-impaired visitors called the Colorado Talking Book Library.
“The library may be the only place in town that has available or strong WiFi, or where you can make a call, or access health services… or where students go if they move to a four-day school week,” said Davies.
“Small and rural libraries play a significant role for their communities, so I hope we can continue making those connection points.”
Type of story: News
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources.
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources.
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