I am and we are still putting together information on this. First, this is a call to see who reading this might have information about the situation today at the Institute of Museum and Library Services in DC. (This is a federal agency heavily involved in libraries around the country.) I’m also trying to find out details about IMLS contracts that were canceled today. If you have any information I hope you’ll contact me confidentially either on Signal at joshtpm.99 or via encrypted email at joshtpm at protonmail dot com.
The following information is tentative: I’m sharing it with you on that basis because I want to find other people who know details. I’m told DOGE showed up at the IMLS offices today and started sending employees home. This was presaged in an executive order from last week which ordered it to shut down to “statutory minimum” levels. A new “acting” director was sworn in in the lobby. From what I understood DOGE operatives immediately starting canceling contracts/grants. In at least one state, these cuts are draconian for the state library system. But I’m trying to understand whether this is happening across all states or whether states that Trump sees as hostile are getting hit especially hard. If you know anything about events today in DC or canceled grants through IMLS please be in touch.
