California State Library's $15 million federal grant terminated
SACRAMENTO – A major piece of funding for the California State Library has been terminated, officials say.
The Library Services and Technology Act had awarded the California State Library $15.7 million for the 2024-25 fiscal year. On Thursday, state library officials revealed the Institute of Museum and Library Services informed them that – as of April 1 – the grant had been terminated.
Only about 21 percent of that funding had been received so far, state library officials say.
"We are deeply disappointed by this ill-informed decision, which immediately affects critical programs supported by these funds," said Rebecca Wendt, California Deputy State Librarian, in a statement.
The funding was set to be used to help run programs and services by local libraries, one of the stated functions of the California State Library.
"The California State Library remains committed to serving all of the people of California and will explore alternative means to ensure continued access to essential library services," Wendt stated.
No reason was given for the funding cut. However, the revelation comes just days after the federal Institute of Museum and Library Services was impacted by massive job cuts.
As detailed by the state's Legislative Analyst's Office, the California State Library is heavily reliant on state and federal funding – with nearly 25 percent of the library's budget coming from federal funds.
The California State Library's main building is in downtown Sacramento. A separate law library building is also located in Sacramento, and a smaller branch of the library is located in San Francisco.
While the California State Library's collection includes more than 4 million titles, 6,000 maps, 250,000 photographs and other documents, most people can't directly borrow materials from the collection. Instead, interested parties can rent materials through their local public library through an interlibrary loan.
