Cancellation of the Institute of Museum and Library Services Is Drastically Impacting the Delivery of Digital Inclusion Services for Millions Nationwide

Since 2020, the digital navigator model has spread like wildfire. Programs with trusted guides who assist community members with ongoing, individualized support for accessing affordable and appropriate connectivity, devices, and digital skills are now in hundreds of communities across the U.S. Thirty-nine states and territories included digital navigator programs in their state/territory digital equity/opportunity plans, many of whom included libraries as key community partners. The Institute of Museum and Library Services is one of the reasons this model was developed and went to scale so quickly. On March 31, staff at the Institute for Museum and Library Services were placed on leave, meaning there are no staff to manage current grants. Small and rural libraries with limited local funding will feel the loss of their IMLS grants the hardest. Losing millions of dollars in grant funds from IMLS will drastically impact the ability of these anchor institutions to deliver critically needed services for their community members—from getting people online to teaching them the skills they need to support workforce development, education, and telehealth.