Photo: Institute of Museum and Library Services/Shutterstock
IMLS Staffers Cry Foul as New Leadership Continues to ‘Slash and Burn’
By Nathalie op de Beeck | Apr 16, 2025
A month has passed since a March 14 executive order called for the elimination of the Institute of Museum and Library Services “to the maximum extent consistent with applicable law.” Since then, all but 12 of the agency’s staff of approximately 75 employees have been put on paid administrative leave and received notice of an agency-wide reduction in force to take place May 4.
And a number of those furloughed employees—alongside a declaration by a pseudonymous fourth, called “Blake Doe” in the State of Rhode Island v. Trump lawsuit—shed light on what these past weeks looked like behind the scenes and what they mean for the agency.
Three furloughed IMLS staff members, who spoke with PW on condition of anonymity out of fear of retribution, said that of the 12 people still working in the agency, only two are managing operations specific to library services. Among them is Lisa Solomson, whom the sources affirm has been newly appointed acting deputy director of library services, which they considered an unusually significant promotion from a project specialist role. Solomson, the sources noted, is married to Matthew H. Solomson, a federal judge appointed by President Donald Trump at the end of his first term.
One source, who noted that Solomson has a library science degree but not the advanced credentials typically expected of the deputy director, called Solomson’s promotion a “blatant example of cronyism.”
Regardless, another noted, it is ultimately up to acting director Keith Sonderling to select IMLS deputy directors: “Technically there’s nothing legally wrong,” the source said. (PW attempted to contact the IMLS multiple times via phone, email, and social media for this story, but received no response.)
Sources attest that the other library services staffer known to still be working at IMLS is associate deputy director Teri DeVoe. In the past, DeVoe has supervised the Grants to States program, which at regular staffing levels involves the supervisor, three program officers, and one program specialist, according to Doe’s declaration.
On the museum side of IMLS, a senior museum program officer and associate deputy director remain in their posts. According to PW’s sources and the Doe declaration, these staffers include CFO Chris Catignani; head of communications Anthony Marucci; IMLS general counsel Thomas M. Browder III, along with and three additional lawyers; director of human resources Antoine Dotson; and a senior human resources specialist.
