Jessica Mathews / news@whmi.com


Some local groups are coming together to protest President Donald Trump’s library cuts.

Livingston Dems and Indivisible Livingston County are sponsoring a "Read-In" and demonstration on Sunday from 11am to 1pm in front of the Howell Carnegie District Library to protest the cuts.

The groups say libraries are one of the pillars of a democratic society, helping create educated and informed citizens, but Trump regime cuts are threatening them. They say the goal is to protest the Trump regime’s cut of $4.8 million for services to Michigan libraries through the Institute of Museum and Library Services.

Some participants will take turns reading aloud a page from a favorite book while others carry signs and wave at passers-by.

Livingston County Democratic Party Chair Judy Daubenmier said “Our goal is to show people how Trump regime cuts are hitting home, eliminating funds that allow us to borrow books from other libraries and to access databases that our local libraries would not otherwise have. Libraries support the freedom to be informed, a key part of a democratic society. We need to stand up for them. This is one way to do it. Anyone concerned about cuts to our libraries is welcome to come and bring a sign to help publicize the damage being done.”

A release states on March 31st, the Trump administration laid off all staff of the Institute of Museum and Library Services. The institute provides funds for interlibrary loan services. That service provides local library patrons access to more than 34 million books, films, and audio materials. In 2024, more than 1 million items were borrowed by Michigan library patrons, according to information from the Michigan Library Association.

The federal funds also pay for shared access to more than 80 databases that would be much more expensive for libraries to purchase on their own. The databases are used by students, job seekers, and researchers and were accessed over 19.2 million times in 2024, according to data from the Michigan Library Association.

In 2024, users of the six Livingston County libraries borrowed 19,013 items through interlibrary loan, according to a news release from the six county libraries in April. It also said every $1 spent in the federal program returns $27 in benefits for the state.

The library is located at 314 W. Grand River in downtown Howell.