News Photo by Steve Schulwitz Tina Markowski, Alpena County Library director, works on the computer in her office on Tuesday. Libraries across the nation are facing cuts to vital services by President Trump.

ALPENA — President Donald Trump’s proposed cuts to non-mandated expenditures and programs within the Institute of Museum and Library Services could have sweeping impacts on area libraries and their users.

The cuts, if enacted, may make it more difficult for people in Northeast Michigan to acquire books that are not in the inventory of their local library, while also losing access to critical online reading material used by many for educational purposes.

Congress included funding for the agency in its continuing budget resolution passed earlier this month and signed by the president. But, there is concern that the cuts could come when a full budget is crafted.

If the cuts become a reality, it could also end programs like the Summer Reading Program at the Alpena County Library.

The federal government sends money from the Institute of Museum and Library Services to the Library of Michigan, who then forwards it in the form of grants to libraries in the state. Trump would like cuts to as much as $4.8 million annually to the Library of Michigan.

The proposed cut in funding to the Library of Michigan could end the highly utilized Michigan eLibrary Catalog (MeL Cat), which allows library cardholders to check out books and other available items from libraries statewide and have them delivered to the library in their community, if the state government didn’t pay more to keep it running.

The cuts could also impact the Michigan e-library, which is an anywhere, anytime library for Michigan residents. The service offers online access to magazines, newspapers and journal articles, books, eBooks, online courses, and evaluated websites. It can be used by any resident of the state at no charge, 24 hours a day.

Tina Markowski, Alpena County Library director, said the proposed cuts could mean there are fewer opportunities to receive grants for needs or improvements in the library, or support local programming.

“These cuts could greatly impact how much access patrons have to different types of books and different types of materials,” she said. “MeLCat offers a lot of resources, including journals from all types of databases, and there are programs on there that help students learn and it is very beneficial to many people.”

The library receives money from a 10-year 0.7462-mill property tax that costs the owner of a $100,000 house about $37 a year. The tax funds from the millage pay for books, magazines, newspapers, programs for children, teens, and adults, staffing, literacy training, access to technology and digital resources, and more. It doesn’t reel in enough revenue to replace the large service the state provides with the help of the federal funds.

Markowski said the library will continue to push forward the best that it can, with the resources it has and adapt accordingly as the situation unfolds.

“The proposed cuts could greatly affect how we offer services, but we will adapt and do the best we can to provide the resources our community needs,” she said.

Markowski said she is keeping the Library Board abreast of the latest development and what the potential fallout could mean for the institution. She said staff and the board will continue to work together to do what’s best for the library and community.

“We’ll continue to monitor the situation and run as normal until any changes are needed, and hopefully those changes won’t drastically impact the community much,” she said.

Steve Schulwitz can be reached at 989-358-5689 or sschulwitz@TheAlpenaNews.com. Follow him on X @ss_alpenanews.com.