Ann Arbor museum voicing concerns amid potential federal funding cuts
An executive order signed by President Trump on Friday continues to cut funding to several federal programs deemed as "unnecessary." One of those programs on the chopping block is the Institute for Museum and Library Services.
The Ann Arbor Hands-On Museum argues that the funds it receives from the program are necessary. While the museum is not reliant on those grants to keep its doors open, it says the place wouldn't be what it is without them.
"IMLS really provides seed money, or research money, or partnership money that allows museums to do something different or innovative, and that is critical," said Susan Westhoff, the president and CEO of the museum.
IMLS grants also helped keep staff employed during the pandemic and helped the museum keep up with its STEM and Nature Education programs during uncertain times. The threat of losing this funding is a concern, even with how competitive the grant process already is.
"It's all museums. Art museums, history museums, any museum you can think of is supported by IMLS, not just children's science centers. So they're actually really competitive grants to get, and it's kind of a boost to get one because you feel like you're doing something really amazing for the industry," Westhoff said.
Westhoff disputes the notion that funding places like the Ann Arbor Hands-On Museum is unnecessary, especially when it comes to educating kids.
She also encourages people who saw their message on Facebook to reach out to their local representatives to show them how much museums and libraries mean to folks in our area, in hopes of showing lawmakers how much this funding means to places like the Ann Arbor Hands-On Museum.
"If we don't need that in our community, I don't know what else we need. That's exactly what we need in communities, the ability to work around something that we're excited about," she said.
Jim Runestad, chairman of the Michigan GOP Party, told CBS News Detroit that donations and grants at a local level can not only replace IMLS funding but they can also have a bigger impact.
"Moving the funding down to the local level is a benefit to everybody. I think that's more appropriate than taking tax dollars from all across the nation and funneling them to a few, very specific groups that may have a different agenda than the average citizen in Michigan," Runstead said.
