How federal cuts could impact San Antonio museums, libraries
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Museums and libraries in San Antonio could lose critical funding under a Trump administration plan to shut down the agency that supports them.
Why it matters: The cultural institutions rely on federal money to meet their mission.
Catch up quick: In a March 14 executive order, President Trump named the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) as one of seven agencies that should be "eliminated to the maximum extent consistent with applicable law."
The latest: The institute on Monday put its entire staff on administrative leave for 90 days after a meeting with DOGE staff, NPR reported.
Follow the money: The IMLS' largest program, called Grants to States, disburses roughly $160 million annually to state library agencies, including $12.5 million in fiscal year 2024 to the Texas State Library and Archives Commission (TSLAC).
- The federal grant makes up a third of the state agency's total budget.
- Per a request from the state agency reviewed by Axios, the 2024 money was earmarked for literacy and workforce readiness programs as well as to help train librarians.
By the numbers: San Antonio museums and libraries have collectively received more than $2 million in federal support since fiscal year 2020.
Zoom in: The Witte Museum has received a $250,000 grant from the agency to better care for 50,000 artifacts from its Texas History Collection, which includes furniture, ceramics, musical instruments and fashion accessories.
What they're saying: "We have hopes that with the success of these IMLS-funded projects, we can continue this work to make our collection accessible to ourselves, but also to other researchers, and to make sure we're stewarding our collection for the future," Witte Museum CEO Michelle Everidge told the Express-News.
- "Something obviously really critical to museum work is making sure that we're keeping the community's memories and their treasures for the future."
Other San Antonio institutions impacted by the IMLS include:
- The DoSeum — $250,000 each in fiscal years 2022 and 2024 for two traveling exhibitions — one to teach kids skills for the future and another called "Understanding Race and Building Unity."
- The University of Texas at San Antonio Libraries and Museum — more than $240,000 in fiscal year 2022 to digitize and catalog at-risk audiovisual items from the Institute of Texan Cultures.
- Artpace — $50,000 in fiscal year 2022 for a paid, after-school program for high school students to learn about careers in the arts.
- The Esperanza Peace and Justice Center, Bexar County's BiblioTech and the Army Medical Department Museum Foundation have also received funds since fiscal year 2020.
Friction point: The IMLS' governing board issued a letter that explained its programs "cannot be paused, reduced, or eliminated without violating Congressional intent and federal statute."
Between the lines: The elimination of the IMLS could lead to "devastation for museums, libraries and archives everywhere," Gabriel Solis, executive director for the Texas After Violence Project, tells Axios.
The other side: "We will revitalize IMLS and restore focus on patriotism, ensuring we preserve our country's core values, promote American exceptionalism and cultivate love of country in future generations," Keith Sonderling, the acting director of the agency, said in a statement last month.