Latest news with #PublicLibraryFund
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
09-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Ohio Library Day brings fight for library funding right to the Statehouse
Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine, second from left, and First Lady Fran DeWine, talk with Anne Rhodes, center, and Allison Howell, far right, of the Mansfield/Richland County Public Library, about services they provide, as part of a library "showcase" in the Statehouse rotunda. Libraries attended an advocacy day at the Statehouse to discuss the importance of libraries and potential state budget cuts. (Photo by Susan Tebben, Ohio Capital Journal) Calls from the Ohio Library Day gathering of about 350 library staff members from across the state were possibly heard from the Ohio Statehouse atrium on Tuesday, because the newest House version of the budget walks back plans to eliminate the Public Library Fund. If it wasn't the advocacy gathering on Tuesday, it could have been the calls and emails legislators received amid the budget process, according to some that attended the event. 'I have never in my entire time in the Statehouse received more emails and phone calls from individuals … advocating for their libraries,' said House Minority Leader Allison Russo, D-Upper Arlington, to cheers from the crowd. Republican House Speaker Pro Tempore Gayle Manning also said she's 'been receiving a lot of emails lately,' as has state Sen. Jerry Cirino, R-Kirtland. 'It is very clear what your interests are,' said Cirino, who will face budget negotiations head-on as the budget discussion heads for the Senate Finance Committee, of which he is the chair. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX Cirino made no guarantees about funding, partly because the House had not finished their discussions of the omnibus bill as of Tuesday morning when he spoke to the crowd. 'No guarantees, don't know what it's going to end up as,' Cirino said. 'But trust me, you've got a lot of us that really believe in libraries and what you do and what you bring to the communities.' A summary of the omnibus bill released on Tuesday afternoon states that the current distribution of state funds to public libraries was put back, instead of a proposed 'population-based formula' initially written into the House budget draft. The omnibus bill is set to be put to a vote on Wednesday. The new budget amendment appropriates $490 million in fiscal year 2026 for the Public Library Fund, and $500 million in fiscal year 2027. The House budget proposal, even with the restoration of the PLF, comes in at a lower allocation than Gov. Mike DeWine proposed in his executive budget, which had an increase to the fund from 1.7% to 1.75% of tax revenue in the General Revenue Fund. According to the Ohio Library Council, DeWine's proposal would have allocated $531.7 million in 2026 and $549.1 million the year after. DeWine praised libraries at Tuesday's event, and said, of funding public libraries as it has been done for the last century, 'I think that's probably something that really should be continued.' 'Our libraries are really at the center of each community,' DeWine said. 'It doesn't matter whether it's in an inner city, it doesn't matter whether it's in Harrison County or any of our smaller counties.' Asked for tips on advocating as the budget moves on to the Senate, the governor said engaging directly with the senators in individual districts would make the most impact, and give them the perspective of those in their communities. 'We all react to people and we react to stories,' he said. 'Statistics are interesting, stories are people.' Anne Rhodes and Allison Howell, of the Mansfield/Richland County Public Library, were more than happy to give DeWine and others the story of their library, which not only provides reading services, but also a 'library of things' where residents can rent items such as power tools and board games. The library can help convert old VHS tapes and other old recording types for free, and brings their bookmobile to nursing homes and assisted living facilities. Rhodes said a community member told her his mother gets books from the bookmobile monthly, looking forward to the delivery every time. 'He said it has just changed her world,' Rhodes said. 'It gives her something to do and keeps her interested, and she's excited to see what she gets every month.' The 'library of things' not only saves people the cost of buying a power tool or musical instrument that they may only need temporarily, but helps enrich lives without the burden of cost, Howell said. 'We have kids come in and they get so happy that they can get a board game that they can play with their parents because they may not be able to afford a board game,' she said. Library patrons were panicked when they heard news that state funding might be at risk, according to Rhodes. 'When they started talking about these budget cuts, I don't know how many phone calls we got in our office, pretty much immediately with people, their hair was on fire,' Rhodes said. 'I've had people call in tears that they're worried about the cuts.' Russo, Manning, Cirino, and state Sen. Beth Liston, D-Dublin, all spent some of their time at the library advocacy event explaining how their local libraries benefitted them, from reading help when they were children, to helping their own children, and giving them space to hear from constituents on the issues of the day. Now, more than ever, legislators said libraries are in need of support. 'I think everyone will agree that in our changing times, there has been a huge need for places where people can come together and gather and feel part of things,' Liston said. 'I would agree that it is critical that we maintain the funds for the library system through our public library funding.' Cirino didn't question the value of libraries, but as the budgeting process goes forward into his committee and the Senate, he said a big question will be: 'How much can we afford to support it?' 'I think like everybody else that we appropriate, it should be a biennial appropriation process that's justified based on input and feedback that we get, not an automatic number,' Cirino told media after he spoke to the library group. '… I think the way that the House presented it in their sub bill (with a population-based formula) … I think will actually be better off for libraries.' Russo said changes to the Public Library Fund that would reduce the monies going to those entities, even more so than the $27 million public libraries lost over the last year, would bring the costs back to the residents. Without state funding, libraries are forced to ask for property tax levies to supplement the costs of business and performing what Russo said are 'critical needs in our communities.' 'When we take money away from those efforts that are being done very well in our communities, that actually costs us money in the longterm,' Russo told the Capital Journal. 'The reason that our communities have to keep going back to local residents is because we are not doing our share here at the Statehouse.' SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
08-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
'We rely on that.' Stark libraries worried about potential cut in state revenue
An Ohio House draft of the two-year state budget eliminates the Public Library Fund, a move that would cut millions in funding for Ohio libraries. Leaders of Stark County library systems said potential cuts could greatly impact services. "We rely on that," said Mary Ellen Icaza, executive director and CEO of Stark Library, which has 10 locations across the county. The Public Library Fund covers about 37% to 38% of Stark Library's operating budget. "Our operating budget is how we keep our locations going and how we are able to provide our collections, resources and services," she said. The fund covers roughly 66% of Louisville Public Library's operating budget, Director Brock Hutchison said. He said if the House budget passes, changes would need to be made. "It's hard for me to say exactly what would happen," Hutchison said. "We'd be looking at some kind of cut." Library cuts? Funding for Ohio libraries at risk of being slashed. Stark libraries need support | Opinion Under the current system, the Public Library Fund gets 1.7% of the revenue from the state's General Revenue Fund, which mostly comes from sales and income taxes. That money is then divided among Ohio's 88 counties using a formula. Under Gov. Mike DeWine's proposed state budget, the Public Library Fund's distribution would've been increased to 1.75% of the General Revenue Fund, but the House plan reverses course. The House proposal would change library funding to a line-item on the state budget. By dollar amount, it would cut funding from an estimated $530 million in 2025 to $485 million in 2026, according to reporting by the Columbus Dispatch. A House GOP spokeswoman told the Dispatch that the $530 million funding figure for the current year is an estimate that has yet to be finalized. Compared to DeWine's proposal, the House proposal gives Ohio libraries $100 million less in the next two years. The GOP-controlled House is scheduled to vote on the budget Wednesday. According to the Ohio Department of Taxation, Stark County received an estimated $15.7 million last year from the Public Library Fund, and is expected to receive about $16.4 million this year. Icaza said the move to eliminate the Public Library Fund was "fairly shocking" and has caused concern for local libraries across the state. "We're keeping a close eye on everything," she said. "It's very important that we're here for our community and can provide the services the community needs." Hutchison said his main concern is that cuts to state funding could impact how Ohio libraries work together to provide resources. "Ohio always has some of the top libraries, if not the top libraries, in the country by usage and what we're able to offer," he said. "There's so many resource sharing opportunities. If you come into the Louisville Public Library, you can borrow from over 100 libraries across the state, and we'll have those items for you in a day of two." The state funding makes it possible, Hutchison said. "We're all funded together, and we're able to collaborate," he said. "It's been a legacy for Ohio's public libraries. Without state funding, or without us being part of the General Revenue Fund, I don't know how that continues." Louisville Public Library has a 1-mill renewal levy on the May 6 ballot. The uncertainty of state funding makes passing it all the more important, Hutchison said. "It's a third of our budget, about $360,000 a year that we can count on over the next five years," he said. "It's critical. It's more critical now than ever." The renewal levy is not a tax increase. Louisville just opened its new library. Hutchison said they will be careful with spending amid the uncertainty. "Anyone in the public sector always pays attention to tax cuts and bills and budgets in the federal, state and local government," he said. "We live within our means." Libraries across Stark County have asked their residents to pay attention to the state budget. Icaza said they are working to try to change the budget and reinstate the Public Library Fund in the final version. "This is very early in the budget process," she said. "We are trying very hard to mobilize and, you know, stand together as the Ohio public library community." Stark Library has been doing a campaign asking residents to call their state representatives and tell them to support the Public Library Fund. So far, she's been impressed with the response from the community. "I am very gratified by the support that the community has shown us," Icaza said. Reach Grace at 330-580-8364 or gspringer@ Follow her on X @GraceSpringer16. This article originally appeared on The Repository: Stark County libraries respond to potential cuts to state funds
Yahoo
06-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Warren Library directors speak out against Ohio bill to change how libraries are funded
WARREN, Ohio (WKBN) — Ohio may change the way it funds public libraries through House Bill 96, and local library directors say it's a setback. The state's operating budget for the 2026-27 fiscal year is still in its early stages, but changes to public libraries is still drawing criticism. Currently, libraries are funded through the Public Library Fund, which is 1.7% of the state's total revenue for the year. Now, the state is looking to change that to a flat rate. 'What we are essentially proposing is to have a flat rate amount moving forward of that's roughly at the same percentage. That would be, in the fiscal year of 2026, $485 million,' said Ohio House Rep. David Thomas. Ohio's House of Representatives also proposed $495 million for the library in 2027. That's less than what is currently projected for 2025– $530 million. In 2024, the Public Library Fund was $489.3 million. Gov. Mike DeWine proposed $531 million for 2026 and $549 million for 2027, but the House rejected his proposal. Executive directors of the Warren-Trumbull County Public Library say that change could lead to layoffs or program cuts. 'Trumbull County stands to lose upwards of at least $1 million in library funding annually. For us here, it's probably going to be cutting programs, and there's a possibility — and we're not saying it's certain — but there's a possibility we will have to close a branch,' said Executive Director Jim Wilkins. Thomas says the flat rate will give public libraries a consistent budget for the year rather than relying on estimates. 'We've had years where there was an estimate of a certain number, and actually, the revenue came in a $30 million to $40 million less. Libraries said we cut them that time, too, but really, it was actually — because it was a percent, it was much less than it was estimated. So, having a flat amount, having a line item makes it much more stable for them to budget themselves,' Thomas said. 'It actually does not help us. It's actually more of a benefit for us to be given a percentage, and when the economy grows, it does better for us,' said Kim Garret, Warren Library directors say they have one of the most trafficked libraries in the state and that their services are essential to the community. '1.2 million people visited Trumbull County Libraries, all of us. That will fill the Ohio [State University] Stadium where the Buckeyes play 12.5 times. That's a lot of people who come in here and use the library, and across the state, we have the highest percent of usage than any state in the union,' Wilkins said. 'Libraries provide an essential service. I love local libraries. There's always the balancing of the taxpayer as well. So, we have to balance the taxpayer dollars with all the essential services we all want and expect,' Thomas said. The Ohio House of Representatives will release its second version of House Bill 96 early next week. Then, a vote will take place. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
05-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Ohio libraries decry funding proposal, threaten branch closures if state funding increase axed
Apr. 4—Dayton Metro Library was among several local libraries sending out urgent messages to patrons this week following a state budget proposal to limit library spending. The plan unveiled by Ohio House Republicans would eliminate the Ohio Library Fund, replacing it with line-item amounts appropriated for each year. The effect is that state library funding would stay relatively flat instead of increasing roughly $100 million over two years as it would in Gov. Mike DeWine's budget proposal. Dayton Metro Library officials said they're anticipating a $3 million difference, which could result in decreased operating hours, programming, library collections and even the closure of some lower-traffic branches. Public Library Fund For years, the Ohio Public Library Fund has received 1.7% of Ohio's general revenue fund, which is powered by sales and personal income taxes and other revenue sources. According to the Ohio Library Council, an organization that advocates for public libraries, roughly 51% of the total funding for Ohio's public libraries comes from the state through the Public Library Fund. The Ohio House proposes nixing the fund and allocating $485 million in library funds for 2026 — a decrease from last year's library fund of $489.3 million — and then $495 million for 2027. If the current funding formula were unchanged, the Ohio Office of Budget and Management projects that the PLF could contain up to $530 million under the current formula by the end of 2025. The Ohio Library Council in a press release said libraries statewide last year saw a $27 million decrease in state funding compared to 2023, which had a PLF of roughly $510 million. The Ohio House's budget proposal differs from Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine's budget pitch, which would have increased the PLF's slice of the general revenue fund by half a percent. This would generate $531.7 million in 2026 and $549.1 million in 2027. An Ohio Library Council analysis estimated that the House's version of the budget would reduce state funding for Ohio's public libraries by more than $100 million over the next two years — compared to the governor's proposal to expand the fund, not compared to current funding. "Ohio's public libraries have had a partnership with the state to deliver services at the local level for almost 100 years and that funding is now at risk," Michelle Francis, executive director of the Ohio Library Council, in a press release. "Public libraries serve all ages, and funding cuts of this magnitude could jeopardize the vital services that our communities rely on." Library funding Library leaders and advocates say the changes in funding could impact services. "At Dayton Metro Library, the Public Library Fund comprises nearly 50% of all DML operations. The remaining 50% is from local property taxes passed by voters like you!" the message states. "The Dayton Metro Library does not want to make these cuts but without the continued support of the State of Ohio we are left with no choice." Dayton Metro Library external relations and development director Debi Chess said the proposed shift in funding Ohio's libraries is "shocking" and will be "profoundly felt." Chess said the PLF guaranteed funding for libraries annually. Library funding existing as a line-item in the state's general fund concerns her. "The Public Library Fund, of course, fluctuates," she said. "But to propose to completely eliminate it is a whole other level. This makes library funding even more vulnerable." Roughly 78% of the PLF funds allocated to Montgomery County ($25.3 million) is set aside for Dayton Metro Library for the 2025 fiscal year. Dayton's library also recently passed a one-mill, five-year levy that will generate $10.5 million per year. Similarly, the Clark County Public Library shared a plea with its patrons on social media Thursday evening, saying the Ohio House's proposal could impact services like children's programs, hotspot loans and more. The library called on community members to contract their state representatives to discuss library funding. "We appreciate the community we serve and your support for the library!" the social media post said. A new model? In the Republican-dominated Ohio House, moving public library funding away from a percentage model has been framed as a way to be more flexible in determining how much public libraries actually need from the state every two years. "Many moons ago, somebody decided that the public library fund would be a certain percentage of the general revenue fund. The issue with that is, it doesn't necessarily always reflect all of the other budgetary concerns that are happening," House Speaker Matt Huffman, R-Lima, told reporters last week. "If you get 1.7%, you don't have to come in and say, 'Hey, here's why we need all this extra money.'" Huffman denied that the proposed change had anything to do with critiques of local libraries, like from that of Rep. Rodney Creech, R-West Alexandria, who publicly criticized the New Lebanon branch of the Dayton Metro Library for carrying tampons in the men's restroom. With the switch, Ohio House Finance Chair Brian Stewart, R-Ashville, argued that the state should quit "autopilot" spending, where possible. "I think every two years we need to do our job and say, 'What is the actual amount of money that we believe should be spent here?' and make that decision," Stewart said. House Democrats, meanwhile, oppose the switch. Minority Leader Allison Russo, D-Upper Arlington, said she has "huge concerns." "Listen, we're talking about a 100-year precedent that we've used to fund our public library system here in the state of Ohio — which, by the way, is one of the top public library systems in the country because they have reliable, predictable funding," Russo said. The Ohio Senate has not produced its own budget draft, which would need to be merged with the House draft before a final draft is sent to DeWine for his approval.
