Ohio’s libraries urgently need your help! On April 1st, the Ohio House of Representatives released its proposed budget which recommends the elimination of the Public Library Fund, a fund protected by law and responsible for the majority of Ohio’s public library funding.
Ohio’s public libraries have had a partnership with the state to deliver services at the local level for almost 100 years. This proposal wants to remove the protection of law and make library funding a lump-sum dollar amount in the State’s overall budget, making it much easier for legislators to cut funding for libraries in the future.
The unprecedented elimination of the Public Library Fund comes at a time when libraries across the state already saw a $27 million shortfall in state funding in 2024. Ohio’s libraries are currently funded at the same level we were in the year 2000 with no adjustment for inflation.
If this proposal passes, it means $100 million less for Ohio public Libraries over the next two years and no guarantee of funding after 2027.
How does this impact you? We rely on funding from the state’s Public Library Fund to support not just operations and capital investments but the very books, library resources, programs, and services our community relies on. This includes:
- Ready for Kindergarten Programs
- Purchase of Books and Materials
- Hotspots & Wifi
- Programming for Children, Teens, & Adults
- …and so much more
- Storytimes
- Digital Resources like Libby & Hoopla
- Community Passes
- Library Hours/Branch Locations/Staffing
Eliminating the Public Library Fund and replacing it with the same level of funding libraries received a quarter of a century ago is a threat to all library programs, materials, and services.
How can you help? Contact your representatives TODAY. Tell them to restore the Public Library Fund to the amount designated in Governor DeWine’s proposed budget and let them know how important the library is to you and your family and how a cut to libraries would impact your community.
Speaker Matt Huffman: (614) 466-6344 or rep78@ohiohouse.gov
Representative Jeff LaRe: (614) 466-8100 or rep73@ohiohouse.gov
Representative Kevin Miller: (614) 466-2500 or rep69@ohiohouse.gov
Senator Tim Schaffer: (614) 466-8076 or schaffer@ohiosenate.gov
Tell your representatives:
- Don’t cut Ohio’s public libraries!
- Don’t cut my library!
- Restore the Public Library Fund (PLF) to 1.75% of the GRF.
- Include a personal story. Tell them what you love about your library and how the library makes a difference in your life and impacts the lives of others.
Your support is crucial in ensuring our libraries remain strong and accessible. Let’s stand together before potential funding cuts become a reality!