Action 72 Save OUR History

Background:  The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) is a federal agency that makes grants to museums and libraries throughout the country, including Maine. The Trump/Musk administration of course wants to eliminate the IMLS.  Whether this is because they have an ignorant, childish understanding of the importance of preserving history, or whether it is because they really don’t want their misdeeds to be preserved, or whether they are fixated on wanting certain information and books to be erased from the culture, the result is the same.

In the dystopian novel 1984, information that was inconvenient to “big brother” went down the “memory hole”.  Book burning is a common feature of authoritarian regimes.  History is often re-written when authoritarians take over.  This is actually happening in this country, right now. 

 Actions:  Call our congresspeople and ask that they fight to preserve funding for the IMLS.

Also, consider undertaking the following project:  On an ongoing basis, download and print out your favorite descriptions of the times we are living through. Pay particular attention to effects on your town, your county, and Maine.  If your historical society has an archive, make a binder of these documents, with the date range on the cover, and give it to the archivist in a year or so.  Add your own personal observations as well.  History is being made right now, and depending on how things turn out, your record may become priceless information for future historians.

Contact:

Senator Angus King:

Augusta: (207) 622-8292
Bangor: (207) 945-8000
Biddeford: (207) 352-5216
Portland: (207) 245-1565
Presque Isle: (207) 764-5124
Washington, D.C.: (202) 224-5344

Representative Jared Golden:

Bangor: (207) 249-7400
Caribou: (207) 492-6009
Lewiston: (207) 241-6767
Washington, D.C.: (202) 225-6306

Senator Susan Collins:

Augusta: (207) 622-8414
Bangor: (207) 945-0417
Biddeford: (207) 283-1101
Caribou: (207) 493-7873
Lewiston: (207) 784-6969
Portland: (207) 618-5560
Washington, D.C.: (202) 224-2523

Representative Chellie Pingree:

Portland: (207) 774-5019
Waterville: (207) 873-5713
Washington, D.C.: (202) 225-6116

Urgency:  Add this to your daily calls about the SAVE act and other depredations

Extra Credit:
https://www.culturalmaine.org
https://oneclickpolitics.global.ssl.fastly.net/messages/edit?promo_id=23577
https://www.aam-us.org/2025/03/17/ask-your-museums-supporters-to-save-imls/