Federal funding cuts reach Vineyard libraries

In the wake of cuts under the Trump administration, libraries on Martha’s Vineyard are feeling the hit of a statewide, indefinite suspension of databases that students and professionals have relied on.

Due to federal funding cuts, the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners (MBLC), a state agency, announced in May it will discontinue freely providing 21 services, including a newspaper archive, certain peer-reviewed research journal databases, and career and education prep, after July 1. This decision followed an April announcement that uncertainty stemming from federal cuts has led to various library services and trainings to be slashed. 

“Every library on the Vineyard is impacted,” said Allyson Malik, director of Oak Bluffs Public Library and president of the Massachusetts Library System executive board. 

The state agency’s decision stems from an executive order signed in March by President Donald Trump. The order directed a reduction in seven federal agencies, including the Institute of Museum & Library Services, which provided $3.6 million in fiscal year 2025 for Massachusetts libraries’ services and grants. The institute is also listed in Trump’s fiscal year 2026 budget request as one of several “small agencies” the president wants to defund or eliminate outright to “enhance accountability, reduce waste, and reduce unnecessary governmental entities.” The institute had also placed its entire staff on administrative leave in March. 

A representative of the White House or the institute was not immediately available for comment. 

There has been widespread backlash over the Trump administration’s attempt to slash nationwide library services. Massachusetts Senators Elizabeth Warren and Ed Markey sent a June 10 letter to Keith Sonderling, acting director of the institute, expressing their concern over efforts to “gut” the agency. Meanwhile, the American Library Association filed a lawsuit in federal court trying to prevent the agency from being closed, which U.S. District Judge Richard J. Leon denied in his ruling, saying the case may be better suited for the U.S. Court of Federal Claims. 

There’s also been pushback and worry voiced locally. At Vineyard Haven Public Library’s temporary Church Street location, seasonal Tisbury resident Mario Mirabelli was dismayed. 

“It’s deeply disturbing that the government wants to, under the guise of who knows what, to defund libraries,” Mirabelli said. 

For local librarians, next steps in the face of more potential federal cuts remain uncertain. “It’s a lot of waiting and seeing where things land in courts,” Alexandra Pratt, director of West Tisbury Free Public Library, said, highlighting the grants that have also been cut for libraries in the state.

Vineyard librarians told the MV Times that the databases are important community resources. Malik in Oak Bluffs said students use the “peer reviewed, authoritative resources” for their research papers. Town officials do as well. The Oak Bluffs shellfish department used the databases for accessing up-to-date research for its field work. Additionally, Malik said some of the tools offer legal forms and language learning programs for residents. 

Ebba Hierta, Chilmark Free Public Library director, said the latest cuts were the MBLC’s way of finding the “least painful impact.” But she warned that this was just the beginning.  

“I think it’s going to be a lot of hard decisions if this federal budget goes forward for local libraries,” Hierta said. She worried that federal grants would not be available, which would force towns and libraries to choose either to eliminate services or raise taxes.  

It’s not just the town’s public libraries that could be impacted by the MBLC’s decision. Rizwam Malik, who serves on the school committees of Oak Bluffs School and Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School, said the funding disbursed by MBLC also covers academic and school libraries in the state. Malik said the resources that will be cut, like the Gale databases, would hinder students’ access to reliable sources of information for assignments like research papers. 

“These funding cuts will absolutely have an impact on school access to databases … for students to become critical thinkers,” he said. 

Vineyard librarians are working to develop a plan. 

Vineyard public libraries are a part of the CLAMS system, a nonprofit association of 38 libraries on the Cape and Islands, so one option could be a regional effort to fill gaps from federal cuts. However, the Oak Bluffs library director said this route could be slower as the funding levels and user bases of so many libraries would need to be factored into a unified plan. 

“We are continuing to look at what our options are so we can continue to provide services for the community on Martha’s Vineyard,” she said. 

Hierta will be retiring on July 1, the same day the free access to the databases are cut. Hierta said she has “absolute confidence” in the ability of her successor, Ruth Konigsberg, to “handle these landmines.” But, Hierta emphasized the uncertainty that flips through the pages of the federal cuts

“I hope it all goes away and I hope the Trump administration goes away,” Hierta said. “But … we don’t know how it’s going to play out.”