WhereTaxMoneyGoesInstitute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS): federal spending, contracts and grants
In fiscal year 2026, Institute of Museum and Library Services reported $282.2 million in obligations and $216.7 million in outlays, about 0.0% of all budgetary resources tracked on USAspending. Below: where its award money went, who received the most, and how its spending has changed since FY 2017.
FY 2026 figures are still being reported by agencies and will change as late submissions arrive.
Mission
The mission of IMLS is to inspire libraries and museums to advance innovation, lifelong learning, and cultural and civic engagement. We provide leadership through research, policy development, and grant making.
How IMLS awarded money in FY 2026
Award obligations are the part of an agency's spending that goes out as contracts, grants, loans, direct payments and other awards to outside recipients. The rest pays for salaries, internal operations and transfers that are not awards.
| Award type | Amount | Relative size |
|---|---|---|
| Grants | $259.2 million | |
| Contracts | $12.3 million |
Obligations by fiscal year
FY 2026 obligations of $282.2 million were down 4% from FY 2025 ($295.0 million) and compare with $232.7 million in FY 2017.
Show the numbers
| Fiscal year | Amount |
|---|---|
| FY 2026 | $282.2 million |
| FY 2025 | $295.0 million |
| FY 2024 | $304.3 million |
| FY 2023 | $303.2 million |
| FY 2022 | $291.4 million |
| FY 2021 | $451.8 million |
| FY 2020 | $303.4 million |
| FY 2019 | $246.4 million |
| FY 2018 | $242.7 million |
| FY 2017 | $232.7 million |
Top recipients, FY 2026
Ranked by award obligations from IMLS. "Multiple recipients" groups aggregated or redacted records, such as payments to individuals.
| # | Recipient | Amount | Relative size |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | California State Library | $14.4 million | |
| 2 | Library & Archives Commission | $12.8 million | |
| 3 | National Park Foundation | $10.1 million | |
| 4 | Florida Department of State | $9.2 million | |
| 5 | New York State Education Department | $8.5 million | |
| 6 | North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources | $5.7 million | |
| 7 | Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Department of Education | $5.7 million | |
| 8 | Secretary of State, Illinois | $5.5 million | |
| 9 | State Library of Ohio | $5.4 million | |
| 10 | Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia | $5.2 million |
Top states, FY 2026
By place of performance — where the work is done or the money is used.
| # | State | Amount | Relative size |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Texas | $19.5 million | |
| 2 | California | $17.3 million | |
| 3 | New York | $13.6 million | |
| 4 | Illinois | $12.1 million | |
| 5 | Florida | $11.8 million | |
| 6 | Virginia | $11.2 million | |
| 7 | District of Columbia | $10.4 million | |
| 8 | North Carolina | $9.7 million | |
| 9 | Indiana | $8.8 million | |
| 10 | Pennsylvania | $8.5 million |
Search this agency's awards
Search IMLS awards for FY 2026
Agencies of similar size
Source data last updated November 4, 2026 · Imported November 6, 2026 · Dollar figures are nominal and rounded. How these numbers are calculated · Report a problem