The Homer Public Library has received $7,000 in grant funding from the state to be used for books and library materials, following the recent approval of an ordinance by the Homer City Council accepting and appropriating the funds for library use.
Ordinance 25-59, which was passed during the council’s last meeting on Sept. 8, also notes that the required city match of another $7,000 is funded in the budget for fiscal year 2026.
State of Alaska Public Library Assistance Grants are awarded annually to eligible libraries by the Alaska State Libraries, Archives and Museums. The PLA grant funds were awarded normally this year, a relief after the program last year saw initial cuts of nearly 74% before eventually being restored. Libraries across the state saw additional uncertainty earlier this spring following President Donald Trump’s executive order to dismantle the federal Institute of Museum and Library Services. IMLS has historically annually distributed funding to state library administrative agencies — which, for Alaska, is the Alaska State Library — through their Grants-to-States awards program.
A temporary restraining order was granted in May, following a lawsuit filed in April by the American Library Association, blocking further actions to dismantle the IMLS. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit upheld this decision on Sept. 11, denying the Trump administration’s appeal and request for a stay of that order.
In the award letter provided to the Homer library, LAM director Amy Phillips-Chan wrote that the division recognized the “many challenges” seen this year, from construction needs and staffing shortages to uncertainty at the federal level impacting library operations and services.
“While this award cannot solve the current financial landscape, we hope it helps to alleviate some of the funding pressure at your library and allows you to focus on what you do best, providing unparalleled access to information and educational resources to patrons,” she wrote.
The Homer Public Library has received the PLA grant every year since 1978, according to an Aug. 20 memorandum to the council from library director Dave Berry.
“We’re glad this year’s grant includes the full amount that so many small libraries depend on for survival,” he wrote in an email to Homer News on Monday. “Having the entire $7,000 available benefits library patrons all over the state, including here, since Homer Public Library uses those funds to supplement the materials budget.”
Find Ordinance 25-59 and supplemental materials in full at www.cityofhomer-ak.gov/citycouncil/city-council-regular-meeting-344.
The next Homer City Council regular meeting will be held on Monday, Sept. 22, at 6 p.m. in the Homer City Hall Cowles Council Chambers and via Zoom.
