It appears President Donald Trump is trying to close the book on a source of funding that provides services and programs for Butler County libraries.

The move could cost the county's residents more than $54,000 in direct grants or funds invested in state library services.

The president's proposal last month for his fiscal year 2020 budget eliminates money for the Institute of Museum and Library Services.

The institute provides $189.3 million in funding to libraries through the Library Services and Technology Act.

“Directly, we won't be affected, but there will be a trickle-down effect,” said Lori Hinderliter, executive director of the Butler Public Library at 218 N. McKean St.

“It filters down to us through state grant money from the Commonwealth Library. It can be a significant trickle,” she said.

Cheryl Ferraro, system administrator for the Butler County Federated Library System, which coordinates resources for the 10 autonomous libraries in the county, said the institute provides money on the county level through the Commonwealth Library.

A spokesman for the Pennsylvania Department of Education, which oversees the Commonwealth Library, said the library receives about $5.5 million annually from the institute.

The money is used for summer learning programs, direct grants for STEM services, and continuing education for educators and librarians.

“It is indirect money, but we have all these programs,” Ferraro said. “For instance, there's the statewide catalog that lists all materials in all libraries in the state. And there's the Power Library, which allows access to electronic resources. And it provides the curriculum for summer reading programs.”

Butler County receives $54,850 in grants and programs from the institute every year, according to the state's Department of Education.

Kathryn Matthew, director of the Institute of Museum and Library Services, said the 20-year-old organization provides critical support to museums and libraries across the United States by offering learning experiences for students and families and access and care for the nation's collections.

“We've invested in rural and smaller communities by supporting basic infrastructure and by developing libraries as local community hubs for broadband connectivity and digital literacy training — helping many residents gain job-related skills and, in many cases, find employment,” Matthew said.

Julie Todaro, American Library Association president, called the president's proposal “counterproductive and short-sighted” and said the association will mobilize its members, congressional supporters and the millions of library patrons to keep those proposed cuts from becoming a reality.

The nation's libraries, Todaro said, provide a variety of services “matched only by the creativity of the libraries that receive them: veterans transitioning to civilian life, small businesses seeking to expand their business online, summer reading programs, resources for blind and hearing-impaired patrons, resume writing and job skills workshops, and computer coding courses to teach youth 21st century job skills.”

Ferraro agreed, pointing to programs offered by the county federated system.

“We do great work, but we need stable funding to do that,” she said.