Latest news with #ColumbusMetropolitanLibrary
Yahoo
5 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Columbus Metropolitan Library delivers nearly 5,000 postcards from patrons to OH Senate
In a bid to advocate for increased state funding for Columbus Metropolitan Library, nearly 5,000 postcards were delivered on June 2 to Ohio Senate President Rob McColley from library patrons who expressed the benefits the library system has had on their lives. The postcard campaign and delivery comes as the Ohio Senate has taken up the budget process, and lawmakers are considering replacing funding for the state's public libraries with a single line item. Columbus Metropolitan Library made the postcards available to customers at their library branches, where customers either drew or wrote about the positive impact of the system. "The library is the only place where I can use a computer to search for jobs," one customer wrote. "It gave me the tools to get back on my feet." Another customer wrote on their postcard that they were homeless, living in a tent by a river, and that the library was one of the only free places they could go to. "I've found an oasis," the person wrote. A mother described the library as a "lifeline" for her three kids, writing that it's where her kids can "learn, laugh, and grow." 'By shifting [public libraries'] funding source to a line-item appropriation as proposed in the House budget, uncertainty and stagnation are brought to communities that rely on their public library,' CML CEO Lauren Hagan said in a prepared statement to the Ohio Senate Education Committee on Monday, May 12. 'Basic state funding for public libraries recognizes our unparalleled impact on all members of our community and ensures we can continue to meet the needs of Ohioans without interruption or compromise.' Reporter Shahid Meighan can be reached at smeighan@ at ShahidMeighan on X, and at on Bluesky. This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Columbus library delivers 5,000 letters advocating for Ohio libraries
Yahoo
16-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Local Ohio librarians urge lawmakers to boost Public Library Fund
() Storytime came to the Ohio Statehouse as local librarians spelled out the ways budget cuts to the Public Library Fund could hurt the communities in which they work. This week, current and past staff of libraries across the state laid out for lawmakers the different ways in which the libraries have played a role in their lives and the lives of their community. Constance Evans taught high school for 25 years, using libraries in the several counties in which she taught to supplement her English lessons and other topics. After more than two decades, she went back to school to get a degree in Library Science. 'More than anything, that year taught me how libraries had morphed into an eclectic mix of technology, print, and online materials, and valuable partnerships connected to every facet of our Ohio communities,' Evans told the Ohio Senate Education Committee. One thing most library representatives who spoke brought up as an important – and popular – part of their role in the community was the age-old early literacy program called storytime. 'Our storytimes are so popular that it's not uncommon that our parking lot is full and people have to park elsewhere in the city to get to our library,' said Chauncey Montgomery, director of the Community Library in Sunbury. For the Columbus Metropolitan Library, storytime is a stealthy way to slide learning in alongside entertainment and engagement. 'What seems like a fun-filled 30-minute reading, singing and dancing session to the untrained eye is a well-planned kindergarten readiness program designed around the four cornerstones of reading — letter recognition, beginning letter sounds, rhymes and vocabulary,' said Lauren Hagan, CEO of the Columbus library system. Storytimes are fairly universal among libraries in the state, but there are other programs that are more tailored to the particular area of the state the library calls home. New Carlisle is an area with a poverty rate of 20.5%, compared to the 13.3% that stands as the state average. Food insecurity is a significant issue for families who come to the New Carlisle Public Library, according to director Beth Freeman. 'We have begun offering a dinner storytime, where all family members are able to have a good meal provided by a local restaurant and hear an entertaining story one evening a month,' Freeman told the committee. Programs of all kinds could be on the chopping block if funding changes are implemented, in a day and age when libraries have already had to be creative with existing funds as library demand and demand for more modern resources goes up. The Public Library Fund, which is currently a percentage of the state's General Revenue Fund, saw a $27 million loss last year. 'Public funds have given our library the ability to be innovative, creative and enduring,' said Aimee Fifarek, director and CEO of the Public Library of Youngstown and Mahoning County. 'All these services and programs were all made possible because our elected leaders invested in our community.' SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX The House's version of the budget would eliminate the 1.7% the Public Library Fund gets from the General Revenue Fund, and create a line-item appropriation. Legislators argued that would be a better deal for libraries, because they would avoid the fluctuations of state tax revenue from year to year. 'I'm not wanting to cut funding for libraries,' said state Sen. Kyle Koehler, R-Springfield, a member of the Senate Education Committee. 'But we have a hard time understanding how a percentage of a fluctuating GRF somehow makes it easier for you.' Advocates fear going to a line-item appropriation rather than a percentage of state tax revenue could put them at risk for 'across the board cuts' if the state needed to tighten its belt, as it did during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to Michelle Francis, head of the Ohio Library Council. 'We've seen lots of programs that are line-items get eliminated, and so I will tell you that that is a strong concern going forward,' Francis said. The budget approved by the House also rejected a proposal from the governor's executive budget that would have raised the PLF distribution to 1.75%. An increase of that size would amount to another $15 million each year for public library coffers, according to Jay Smith, director of government and legal services for the Ohio Library Council. With the rise in visits to libraries, up 3.4 million to 48 million visits statewide in 2024, according to the council, advocates have taken to comparing the crowds who visit their facilities to audiences at football games. Francis has frequently used Ohio Stadium as a model, saying the statewide number of visits to libraries could fill the Shoe more than 400 times. 'I haven't compared that (2024 increase) to the Browns stadium, but that's our next goal,' she told the committee. Fifarek said 2024 numbers for Youngstown/Mahoning County libraries showed a population that would fill Youngstown State University's Stambaugh Stadium more than 30 times. Despite the consistent crowds, libraries only see funding through the Public Library Fund and local levies, with the exception of 48 library systems who don't have levies on the books. 'We are responsible for our own buildings, but yet we do not receive money in the capital bill,' Francis said, referring to the state's separate spending bill for infrastructure and other projects. 'We also don't get county sales tax, city income tax, no casino revenue, we didn't get any direct (American Rescue Plan Act) funds, and we don't have inside millage. So, that state funding is incredibly critical, and we rely on it more and even greater than our partners do the (local government fund).' The Senate is currently working on its draft of the budget, which could contain changes to the House's version. The two chambers will come together after the Senate approves a draft to bring forth a final draft for the governor's signature before July 1. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
29-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
COTA giving free admission to COSI Science Festival
COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — Here's an opportunity to get into the COSI Science Festival for free. COTA is giving away free day passes for the festival. All you need to do is visit your nearest Columbus Metropolitan Library to get your pass, but hurry before they run out. The festival runs this week from April 30 to May 3. There are a number of COTA bus lines to get to COSI. For more information, click here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
16-02-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Columbus debuts new park honoring ties to the Underground Railroad
COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — The city came together Saturday morning to honor the history of Alum Creek Trail and the role it played in enslaved people's journey to freedom. 'That really was an effective place for slaves to move throughout that river corridor along Alum Creek to freedom,' said Bernita Reese, director of Columbus Recreation and Parks. The Columbus Metropolitan Library and Columbus Recreation and Parks came together to announce The North Star Project. 'It was all about moving north, people moving north. How did they move north? It was all built off the brightness of the star,' Reese said. In the first phase of the project, they revealed plans for a new park. It will take inspiration from the North Star and its galaxy. Reese said they want to bring attention to how it was used to help people escaping slavery to find their way north. 'I think it's so important that first of all we know our history but also that we are moving forward,' she said. The park will be across the street from the Shepard branch of the library, and organizers plan to transform it into a space for playing and educating. 'It will have a reflective area that we'll look at. People will be able to come and really sit and think. There will be QR codes along this park corridor that people can really educate themselves and learn more about the Underground Railroad,' Reese said. It's also right next to a trailhead for Alum Creek Trail, which was a route on the Underground Railroad. Reese said each year there will be new installations along the trail for people to learn more about the journey. 'We want to look at conductors. We want to look at conductors' wives. We want to look at some other opportunities that have been presented within the state of Ohio,' Reese said. Reese said an official time is not set yet, but they are hoping to start the park in 2026. 'We want the community involved. We want the community to be able to give us feedback,' she said. Columbus Metropolitan Library has been hosting programs about the Underground Railroad in central Ohio all month. You can learn more about those here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
