Via The Charlotte Observer: "President Donald Trump this month rolled out his federal spending pitch for the 2027 fiscal year, which begins on Oct. 1. The plan calls for defunding the federal agency that supports libraries — the Institute of Museum and Library Services. The administration previously attempted to shut down the institute, which also disburses federal dollars to museums nationwide.

"North Carolina received about $5.9 million from the institute in fiscal year 2025, much of which went to the Library of North Carolina to pay for services used by libraries across the state, including Charlotte-Mecklenburg Library, and grants for local library systems.

“'These dollars fund a lot of essential services, whether we talk about digital skills training for all North Carolinians or online professional development for library staff … We don’t want to stop having adult literacy programs or support for AI training,' Brooks Rainwater, president and CEO of the Urban Libraries Council, told The Charlotte Observer. 'We’ve seen long-standing bipartisan support for IMLS. I think whether you’re Republican or Democrat, you understand the value of your local public library.'”

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