Federal funding cuts are leaving museums and libraries across New York state worried.  

What You Need To Know

  • All staff at the Institute for Museum and Library Services were placed on administrative leave for 90 days

  • The IMLS awards grant funding to museums and libraries across the United States

  • That means hundreds of thousands of dollars of funding is now at risk

Part of Beth Bojarski’s job as vice president of programs at the Genesee Country Village & Museum is helping visitors travel back in time. 

She walks through a building that once housed a land office in the 1800s, reading panels that cover its walls. It’s part of the museum’s Seeking Freedom exhibit which tells the story of slavery in New York state. 

“These stories are integral, they help tell how we got to where we are," said Bojarski. 

Part of the exhibit was funded by the Institute for Museum and Library Services (IMLS). It’s an independent federal agency providing libraries and museums across the country grants to create exhibits with cultural, educational, scientific or historical information.  

Borjarski says the museum uses that funding to help pay for educational panels, audio tours of exhibits, and working with experts to create the exhibits. Under an executive order from President Donald Trump, the Institute of Museum and Library Services has placed its entire staff on administrative leave for 90 days. That means hundreds of thousands of dollars of funding is now at risk. 

Over the last 12 years, the George Eastman Museum received $1.7 million in IMLS funding. Right now, the museum has three projects underway supported by IMLS funding.

“These projects don’t just benefit Rochester; they benefit people across the country, which raises the profile of the institution," said the Ron and Donna Fielding director of the George Eastman Museum Bruce Barnes. 

Past IMLS funding helped improve conditions in the museum’s photography vault which houses rare items. It also created books filled with historic pictures the public wouldn’t otherwise be able to see. The George Eastman Museum does receive funding from other sources, but Barnes says it will be harder without the support from IMLS.

“Because we received those grants, the credibility of the projects is verified by experts and that allows us to go to other foundations," said Barnes. 

At the Rochester Museum & Science Center, the newest exhibit tells the stories of Indigenous communities across New York. It’s funded in part from IMLS. 

“We’ve never had an issue like this. It’s never been an issue like this since IMLS began," said Hillary Olson, president and CEO of RMSC. 

RMSC received around $1 million of IMLS funding over the past decade. Without it, creating new exhibits will be difficult and Olson worries about it affecting visitors. 

“You can’t just be static," Olson said. "You can’t just stay the same for 10, 20 years, you have to be able to do something new. The impact is going to be great. People that feel like, 'I’ve already seen' or, 'I already experienced that' maybe won’t have that same drive to come to the museum." 

It’s uncertain what the next steps look like for all three museums, but those in charge say community support is more important than ever. 

“Those are things that create a better society," said Olson. “Our community is stronger when people visit museums."