Open Letter to the Community from Library Director Julie Wendorf
Dear Community Members:
On behalf of the Crown Point Community Library (CPCL) and its Board of Trustees, I wish to share with you a significant development affecting both your hometown library and libraries nationwide.
On Friday, March 14, the White House issued an executive order calling for the elimination of the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), the nation’s only federal agency for America’s libraries. This executive order will defund an independent federal agency charged with providing financial support for books, databases, digitization programs, resource sharing, and training for library workers everywhere. ILMS represents just 0.0046% of the federal budget, yet its return on that investment is enormous.
The Crown Point Community Library typically remains neutral on political matters, as our mission is rooted in a strong commitment to impartiality. The Library is dedicated to empowering and enriching our community by ensuring equitable access to information and fostering lifelong learning experiences. Our initiatives encompass cultivating early literacy in our youngest visitors, supporting students, providing resources for workforce development and entrepreneurs, and offering activities designed to alleviate senior loneliness.
IMLS funding makes it possible for the Crown Point Community Library to provide access to the Indiana Digital Library via the Libby App. In 2024, The Library experienced a 45% increase in eMaterial circulation as our community members checked out over 110,852 digital eBooks, eAudio, and eMagazines at no cost. Our community also benefits from statewide resource sharing that enables the library to borrow and transport resources, via Inter Library Loans, we don’t have in our collection from other Hoosier libraries, maximizing valuable tax dollars. Many of the library’s databases are provided via INSPIRE by the Indiana State Library made possible by IMLS funding. These databases include those that provide resources for students of all ages doing research, individuals needing workforce development and access to free testing and certification aids, and for individuals doing genealogy explorations to name but a few of the resources included in INSPIRE.
To effectively oppose this threat to library services, I encourage you to:
- Learn how this federal funding impacts Hoosiers: Help raise awareness by sharing this visual representation of the potential impacts.
- Contact your federal senators and representatives: Express the importance of the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) and how its elimination would impact our community.
- Sign the petition by EveryLibrary: Join others in opposing the executive order targeting IMLS by adding your name to the petition.
- Share information: Inform family and friends about this issue and encourage them to support public libraries. Share how your public library enriches your quality of life.
I deeply appreciate our community’s unwavering support for the library and thank you for your continued commitment. Feel free to contact me with any questions, at jwendorf@crownpointlibrary.org or ask for me at the front desk at the Crown Point location.
Julie Wendorf
Library Director, Crown Point Community Library
President, Indiana Library Federation
Other resources: ILF 2025 Statement IMLS Funding Cuts
