MARSHALL — Readers in southwest Minnesota check out thousands of books a year through statewide interlibrary loan services, said Plum Creek Library System Director Elizabeth Hoffman. But Hoffman said she and other Minnesota regional library directors are wondering how long that will last, after federal cuts at an agency that supports museums and libraries.

“We haven’t had negative impacts as of yet,” Hoffman said. But changes at the Institute of Museum and Library Services have been very recent, she said.

Hoffman said PCLS, which serves nine counties in southwest Minnesota, has about 11,000 interlibrary loans a year through a statewide program that gets federal funding through the IMLS.

“It is a very beloved service in our region, and heavily used,” Hoffman said.

In March, President Donald Trump signed an executive order calling for several agencies, including the IMLS, to be reduced “to the minimum presence and function required by law.”

This week, CBS News reported that about 80% of IMLS’s 77-employee staff were placed on administrative leave.

An interactive dashboard on the IMLS website said it awarded Minnesota a total of over $4.7 million in grant funding in 2024. The breakdown included $3.1 million in grants to the Minnesota Department of Education’s state library services, and over $1.5 million for museum services. A breakdown of funding ranged from grants for the Science Museum of Minnesota, to an almost $52,000 small museums grant for educational events at the Lower Sioux Indian Community.

Hoffman said discussion of how cuts at IMLS could potentially affect libraries was “the big topic of discussion” at a meeting of Minnesota regional library directors this week.

The Plum Creek Library System includes 26 different member libraries spread out across Lincoln, Lyon, Redwood, Pipestone, Murray, Cottonwood, Rock, Nobles and Jackson Counties. Hoffman said there are two kinds of interlibrary loans used by patrons at PCLS. Plum Creek member libraries can loan materials like books to each other. And through the statewide MNLINK service, they can also request materials from other libraries across Minnesota.

Loans within the Plum Creek system won’t be affected by federal cuts, Hoffman said. However, Minitex, the library organization at the University of Minnesota Twin Cities that provides the MNLINK service, does receive federal funding through IMLS.

On its website, Minitex said federal funding from the Library Services and Technology Act, which is provided by IMSL, helps make possible a variety of services. The list includes interlibrary loans, a statewide ebook collection, access to historical collections through the Minnesota Digital Library, and online access to resources like magazines and newspaper articles through eLibrary Minnesota.

Hoffman said Plum Creek member libraries – and even library patrons – have expressed concerns about potential cuts.

“Everyone is aware some things could change,” she said. But it’s still not certain how local libraries will be affected. It’s anticipated that IMLS funding will continue through June, which could allow time for library services organizations to make plans, she said.