A public library is the soul of its community. And library workers — including thousands of AFSCME members nationwide — help that soul flourish.
On National Library Workers Day, we honor these workers who stand up for us, especially during times of crisis.
But they face a barrage of attacks from billionaires like Elon Musk, his DOGE crew and this administration. Federal, state and local budgets that pay for libraries and library workers are under threat like never before.
A March 14 White House executive order targets the nation’s libraries and museums. It’s yet another example of the administration, anti-union extremists and their billionaire buddies going after public services that communities need and deserve.
The White House and Musk’s minions at the so-called Department of Government Efficiency want to eliminate the Institute of Museum and Library Services.
IMLS provides grants to public, academic and school libraries and museums. This means libraries face budget cuts. Popular programs like summer reading initiatives are threatened. And some library workers may be out of work.
That’s why AFSCME has joined with the American Library Association to file a lawsuit to stop Musk’s DOGE from shutting down IMLS.
“Libraries and museums contain our collective history and knowledge, while also providing safe spaces for learning, cultural expression and access to critical public resources,” AFSCME President Lee Saunders said.
“They represent the heart of our communities, and the cultural workers who keep these institutions running enrich thousands of lives every day. Library workers do everything from helping people apply for jobs to administering life-saving care all while facing increasing violence on the job. Their work deserves support, not cuts,” he added.
The dismantling of IMLS not the only threat to libraries or library workers. Led by anti-worker lawmakers, Congress plans to gut programs like Medicaid, which will devastate state budgets and force cuts to all public services — including libraries.