REPORT: How Will Project 2025 Impact Libraries?

As a roadmap for the next Republican administration, Project 2025 has broad implications for libraries across the nation.

The plan aims at reducing federal oversight protections and spending as well as reallocating responsibilities to states and localities -- which have already demonstrated their willingness to ban books and punish library personnel. Project 2025 would, in no small ways, work to dismantle the federal government and remake the public sphere into a radically different America.

Read the report to learn more about how Project 2025 will impact libraries.

This brief aims to focus on what this “dismantling” would mean for libraries and highlight the specific aspects of Project 2025 that endanger the library ecosystem, outline the broader implications for society, and advocate for the protection of these invaluable community resources.

Libraries are cornerstones of a democratic society, fostering lifelong learning, cultural preservation, and economic development. Public libraries provide essential resources and services, from early literacy programs to technology access, helping bridge the digital divide. School libraries support student achievement by offering diverse learning materials and fostering critical thinking skills. Academic libraries underpin higher education by providing access to scholarly resources and supporting research initiatives.

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Our institutions are under threat by policy proposals that could lead to the elimination of federal funding and the rolling back of enforcement of protections for students, families, and the right to read. The Heritage Foundation manifesto institutionalizes censorship and paves the way for greater political control over educational content.

By understanding the potential impacts of these proposed changes, stakeholders can better mobilize to safeguard the independence, diversity, and essential services that libraries provide to all Americans.