What does the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) do?
Updates published annually
The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) is a subdivision of the National Foundation on the Arts and Humanities responsible for administering grants to America's museums, libraries, and related organizations. It was established in 1996.
In FY 2024,
$280M
was spent by the Institute of Museum and Library Services
In FY 2024,
39.7%
of National Foundation on the Arts and Humanities spending was by the Institute of Museum and Library Services
How much does the Institute of Museum and Library Services spend?
The Institute of Museum and Library Services spent a net total of $280.2 million in fiscal year (FY) 2024. This was 39.7% of the $706.2 million spent by the National Foundation on the Arts and Humanities, which itself was 0.01% of all federal spending. The IMLS ranked first among ARTS subdivisions in net spending.
Net spending is the difference between agency spending and any financial accounts generating funds from the agency’s own activities, like fees or rent. When these funds offset all spending, net spending appears negative. Some agencies tend to operate with positive net spending while others will register negative net spending sometimes or often.
The Institute of Museum and Library Services ranked first among National Foundation on the Arts and Humanities divisions in net spending in 2024.
ARTS net spending by division, FY 2024
Like the overall federal budget, agency spending may shift over time due to population growth, changes in policy and programs, and emerging problems to address. Adjusting for inflation, the Institute of Museum and Library Services’ federal spending has decreased from $618 million in 1980 to $280.2 million in 2024.
The Institute of Museum and Library Services’s federal spending in FY 2024 was lower than in FY 1980.
Yearly federal net spending by IMLS, adjusted for inflation (2024 dollars), FYs 1980–2024
Since 1980, the Institute of Museum and Library Services' spending has decreased 54.7%, while overall spending has increased 193.7%.
As a percentage of the overall federal budget, a positive number means agency net spending made up some positive share of total federal spending; a negative number means that net generated funds offset a portion of total spending. IMLS spending grew less than overall federal spending since 1980, which means that its share of the federal budget decreased. In 2024, IMLS accounted for 0.0041% of overall federal spending.
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Major legislation, internal or global economic conditions, and acute events like the COVID-19 pandemic can affect spending year to year. For example, the federal budget fluctuated during the pandemic, rising from $5.3 trillion (in 2023 dollars) in 2019 to $7.7 trillion in 2020 and $7.8 trillion in 2021.
The Institute of Museum and Library Services’s share of federal spending in FY 2024 was lower than in FY 1980.
Net spending by IMLS as a share of federal spending, FYs 1980–2024
Most federal spending can be categorized as direct or indirect. Direct spending refers to money the federal government spends on budget items such as federal programs, employee salaries, and debt interest. Indirect spending refers to federal transfers to state and local governments.
In FY 2024, the Institute of Museum and Library Services transferred 92.4% of its total spending to states and local governments.
The chart below outlines all net IMLS spending.
How did the Institute of Museum and Library Services spend its budget in 2024?
Federal government net spending isolated to IMLS, FY 2024
How many people work for the Institute of Museum and Library Services?
Some 97 of the 2.31 million total civilian federal employees work for the Institute of Museum and Library Services as of September 2024. This is 12.8% more people than the division staffed in 2010.
The number of federal employees working for the Institute of Museum and Library Services has increased 12.8% since 2010.
Number of federal employees working for IMLS, September 2010–2024
The Institute of Museum and Library Services accounts for 0.0042% of the overall federal workforce. As the number of federal employees has changed, so too has the way the workforce is organized, with resources allocated to agencies depending on government priorities. The division constituted a larger share of the overall federal workforce in September 2024 compared to 2010 (0.0041%).
While the number of employees on an agency’s payroll contributes to that agency’s expenditures, some agencies have relatively few employees compared to their budget or vice versa, giving them an outsized share of either the budget or the workforce. According to the most recent data, the Institute of Museum and Library Services' share of the workforce (0.0042%) is larger than its share of the budget (0.0041%).
Who leads the Institute of Museum and Library Services?
The IMLS is led by a director, who is nominated by the president of the United States and confirmed by the Senate.
Keep exploring
Methodology
USAFacts standardizes data, in areas such as time and demographics, to make it easier to understand and compare.
Page sources
USAFacts endeavors to share the most up-to-date information available. We sourced the data on this page directly from government agencies; however, the intervals at which agencies publish updated data vary.
