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/r/fednews is going wild about what's going on with the Institute of Museum and Library Services. This is in-line with this executive order. If this really does goes forward and a significant chunk of federal funding is cut from museums and libraries nationwide, I might really just start go kick a rock somewhere. I love libraries, I love museums, and I really don't think they're that wasteful either. I've read and somewhat understand where other posters are coming from with regards to institutional-ideological-capture, but on this I am struggling to see how that weighs so much compared to the good being provided.
Literally over the weekend on a day trip, my wife and I stopped at the local town's library for a midtrip break and I was absolutely astound at the many services this small town library provided. There was weekly notary service, children activities, a display of locally important quilts, a plethora of tax-season offerings, etc. Personally, in my childhood, my school library was open on Saturday and it was common for my mum to unload us kids there for the day and let us roam the stacks as we please. As a middle schooler, the library was great for a socially anxious kid. And in adulthood, on every exploration walk I've made, if there's a library open, I'm walking in.
For any trip to any world-class city, museums are the first thing on my list. The artifacts, the stories, the experience of seeing things you've only seen in books or through the internet with your own eyes, letting those electrons hit those retinas. Washington DC would be a lot less inviting or exciting without the many museums that dot its map. Even the small libraries can be a great experience as they often document a subject I've never thought of before.
The US greatest treasures are its national parks and forests and public land. Thankfully at least that nature would survive when there are less humans, though I still fear for the actual long term consequences. Not so the libraries and museums. Can someone explains to me why this is a good thing?
Libraries and museums have gone full woke, e.g. giving indigenous tribes veto power over exhibit contents, so it's not surprising.
I'm going to assume you're referring to what is discussed here, which is really covered by NYT here. From my read of it, it wasn't that the museums system went full woke, it was the Biden administration that went full woke, given that:
To me, it doesn't seem like the museums themselves are really trying their hardest at compliance in the last 35 years. It took the wokest administration so far to lay down new regulations for:
I would imagine that if the museums went full woke they would have already done it willingly and without being asked instead of the "scramble" that's mentioned. I don't see anything that is intelligent or creative about shuttering museums. If we talk about the indigenious tribes veto power specifically, seems like simply reversing the situation is already enough, why must go as far as shutting off funding for the museums themselves?
Also I would like to hear your arguments on why libraries should also receive less funding and possibly need closing.
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