President Trump has made it clear since his first term that he doesn't like libraries, nor books on the matter.

In addition to trying to cut funds, he created a crazy Queen's Story hours that were hosted by some libraries and banned books in school facilities.

Like most of Trump's 2.0 agenda, it turns out it's just a warm-up. Over the past month, Trump – primarily through his excellent team of government efficiency departments – which is not an actual government entity – has masked the Museum and Library Services Institute or IMLS, a federal organization that supports 123,000 libraries and 35,000 museums in the country and demolished the grants approved by the Congress to fund them.

California and two other states that dare to mention diversity and equity in their grant applications will be particularly hit. But you and I will do the same, because for decades, libraries have been more than just a place to view books for free. They developed into a network of important services and destinations that provide internet access to those who cannot afford it. Literacy classes for children and adults; family programs for vulnerable groups such as the elderly. Indeed, the list of content that your local library offers is too long for this space.

But most of the time, they offer this – being a huge equalizer between people who are unique. So reducing their work is another arrow to the core of democracy, as undermined as attacks on universities and free media.

"Libraries are not icing on the cake," said John Szabo, city librarian at the Los Angeles Public Library. They are not the cherries on the top. " "They are really, really essential." ”

So what exactly did Trump do? In 1996, Congress created the IML to handle grant systems for libraries and museums. In 2024, approximately 600 grants will be approximately $270 million. Peanuts, but important peanuts – especially for rural and tribal libraries that play a role in budget.

In March, Doge left the entire IMLS staff (and then rehired several). I tried to get in touch with the story, but it seems that its media staff no longer existed and the email was not answered.

Then, in early April, the agency sent a letter to cancel the grants given in 2024 (for the fiscal year ended June), even though the libraries were already using the funds – the claim to spend the money in ways that were inconsistent with IMLS’ priorities. ”

Cindy Hohl, president of the American Library Association, a nonprofit that promotes and advocates for libraries, told me that at this time of year, these priorities include planning a summer reading program for young children to help early literacy and prevent loss of learning for older children at school. Some of these plans even offer lunch for children who may be hungry.

“It’s always a safe space for everyone, especially in the summer, when students are not in school,” Hall said. “When hearing about literacy services in the United States are considered wasteful, librarians would object that it’s harmful because Americans overwhelmingly like their libraries when you look at the data and look at the research.”

Rebecca Wendt, a lieutenant librarian at the California State Library, told me that the immediate loss of about $3 million was lost to the withdrawal of the grant. The state's library awarded $15.7 million in annually, but still owed 21% of that. Federal grants are usually given to the national library and then given to local facilities. She said the money accounts for up to 6% of the local budget.

“They will now have to scramble to figure out how they will fill the gap at the end of the budget year,” Winter said.

So will the country. Winter said some of the funds from the state library directly support 34 employees, in addition to covering programs that include its free services, providing Braille books to the blind.

Thanks to voters, Los Angeles has funded its library. In 2011, we passed L measure L, which ensures that city libraries have money to remain open after budget tightening, threatening to reduce for hours.

But even here, the loss of federal funds has caused a shock. When the grants were cut, Los Angeles was using its $166,000 reward, including space to create some branch offices for nerve-emitted children and their families. Another part of this grant is aimed at a program that helps older people understand science.

Now, these programs are pending.

"Do we stop it altogether? Do we keep going? What should we do?" Szabo wanted to know.

In the middle of this uncertainty, the news got worse. Applications for the grant next year will begin in July and be released in mid-April. In most states, the grant is cut in half. But Winter told me that California didn’t even provide an application. Despite the great uncertainty, it now appears that the federal government is completely freezing the Golden State Library.

“There should be no reason to declare California eligible for grant funds,” Winter said. “However, last week, we were denied notices from 47 other states, which will notify them of their allocations in the next fiscal year.”

Since both Los Angeles and California are facing budget tightening, it’s best to deal with the loss of federal funds. But more than that, Hall sees federal action as another attack on the fabric of American society, trying to bury our history and diversity by controlling information. When banning books, she notes, “when you look at the (forbidden) list of books every year, it is the same title and shows you very clear pictures. If they happen to be representatives of black, indigenous, people of color, or LGBTQIA+ communities, these titles are titles targeted and repeatedly attacked.”

Hall said her organization has filed federal lawsuits against IML, Doge and others to stop the cuts. Because Congress authorized funds, the lawsuit argued that Trump could not just cut them by himself.

“They target the wrong career,” Hall said. "If anyone thinks we're quiet, we'll take a step back and they won't know us. We'll support the constitutional rights of every American. We'll support the First Amendment. We'll stand up and make sure that libraries don't get closed because the libraries on the blinds in the United States are Democratic days and we'll die from democratic days."

Regardless of whether the legal effort is successful or not, the attack on the library will not end. The real message has become the enemy of the Maga Contingent, and we once were the librarians of Quiet said the "Intellectual Freedom Warriors" were ready for a long and loud battle.