Boston, Massachusetts - The Council of State Archivists (CoSA) received notice late Wednesday, April 9th, that the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) terminated CoSA’s two project grants, effective April 8, 2025. 

IMLS plays an essential role in helping libraries, archives, and museums offer educational resources, preserve state and local history, and provide public services that communities rely on. A widespread loss of funding from the agency could mean loss of access to services for most Americans, thus having a far-reaching impact on access to knowledge, literacy efforts, and vital community programming.

For CoSA, a nonprofit association serving the 56 U.S. state and territory government archives, the loss of funding directly impacts our multi-year BACKER: Building Archival Capacity for Keeping Electronic Records project and our two-year AWARE: Archives Working Across Remote Environments planning project. The grants were awarded through the IMLS National Leadership Grant program in FY2021 and FY2023, respectively. The immediate revocation of the awards is a setback for CoSA’s flagship electronic-records institute and our programmatic commitment to facilitating capacity-building and best practices at the archives of the nation's territories.

“IMLS has been a long-time trusted partner of CoSA’s work, particularly for the State Electronic Records Institute (SERI),” said Executive Director Joy Banks. “Over the history of SERI, the IMLS investment in the program has totaled more than $1.5 million and has profoundly advanced state archives’ ability to preserve and provide access to electronic records. BACKER’s most recent reports demonstrate that the project is a sound investment. Recently funded SERI activities benefited the public by equipping archivists and records managers with tools for delivering 21st-century services.” 

While the BACKER project is nearly complete, the AWARE project is approximately three-quarters of the way through conducting onsite assessments of archives programs in the territories, Alaska, and the District of Columbia. Following the collection of findings from this planning phase, CoSA intended to seek IMLS support for an implementation phase to help this cohort move forward on recommendations in their assessments.

“The unexpected termination of these grants places a financial burden on an organization the size of CoSA,” said Banks, “but we are actively working to identify general operations resources that can be reallocated to fulfill our commitments to project participants.”

CoSA president Cathy Popovich says these adaptations will prioritize the core objectives of both projects. “Though our timelines may shift and final publications may not look quite as polished, we remain focused on the goals of these projects and the members they are designed to support.”

CoSA urges the State Historical Records Advisory Boards (SHRABs), archives friends organizations, allied organizations, and private citizens to advocate for IMLS’ future by telling your impact story of what a loss of federal dollars directed to libraries, archives, and museums will mean for you, your organizations, and your community. The American Alliance of Museums (AAM) provides a guide and resources to help connect with your elected officials. The Chief Officers of State Library Agencies (COSLA) is also coordinating the collection of impact stories with state libraries. If you or your organization has received a termination notice, COSLA (IMLS only), AAM (IMLS and NEH), and American Association for State and Local History (IMLS, NEH, and NPS) are collecting and sharing information about the national impact. 

Two lawsuits have been filed by states and professional organizations to stop the dismantling of IMLS. The American Association for State and Local History is in conversation with the American Alliance of Museums (AAM) and other museum associations about legal options to challenge this action. In the meantime, consider subscribing to CoSA’s monthly News Brief for updates and making a donation to CoSA and other non-profits impacted by recent termination notices.

About CoSA
The Council of State Archivists (CoSA) is a nonprofit membership organization of the state and territorial government archives in the fifty states, five territories, and District of Columbia. Through collaborative research, education, and advocacy, CoSA provides leadership that strengthens and supports state and territorial archives in their work to preserve and provide access to government records. CoSA facilitates networking, information sharing, and project collaboration among its member organizations to help state and territorial government archives with their responsibilities for protecting the rights and historical documents of the American people.