National World War I Museum project halted due to federal cuts

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Mid-March, President Donald Trump issued an executive order to significantly cut an independent government agency, one that is the primary source of federal support for the country’s museums and libraries.

According to the American Library Association, “This White House announcement orders that seven agencies, including the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), be eliminated to the maximum extent of the law and the agencies are ordered to reduce their services and personnel to the minimum amount required to perform the functions required by law.”

The Institute of Museum and Library Services is an independent government agency.

In 2024, the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) awarded over $260 million to support the nation’s museums and libraries.

“All of the staff have been placed on administrative leave at the IMLS. I hope that when the fog lifts that this will be one of those projects which is valued, and the funding will continue. We are in a position where we are sending set documents out to be scanned and it’s very expensive to do that because of the care which needs to be taken. It’s specialist work. I’m reluctant to commit significant funds, which we would have to pull from out general revenues, when we have other financial obligations. That’s why we need to pause to see what’s going to happen,” President and CEO of the National World War I Museum and Memorial, Matthew Naylor said.

It’s unclear how the executive order may impact current or future grants, but FOX4 has learned, a significant project within Kansas City’s National World War I Museum and Memorial is on hold.

“We are having to pause that project because we can’t proceed in the conditions where it is very unknown at the moment what’s happening,” Naylor added. “What we don’t know is if the grant will be paid out. It’s as simple as that. We’ve not been communicated with.”

The World War I Museum and Memorial was awarded a two-year, $250,000 grant by the IMLS, for a digitization project last year.

“It definitely brought up a lot of feelings. I was definitely scared that without the funding that we wouldn’t be able to do this important project,” Tracy Dennis, the Museum and Memorial’s digitization program manager and registrar said. “Me and my team, we’ve put in a lot of time and effort to get ready for this, so it’s really disheartening not knowing, if we will get to move forward with the rest of it.”

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