The Ohio House of Representatives released its proposed biennial budget on April 1. It would cut an estimated $100 million in funding for public libraries over the next two years.
Libraries already receive the same level of funding they received from the state in 2000. (That’s not adjusted for inflation. That’s dollar for dollar.)
Think of all the services that libraries have added since 2000 — online resources like ebooks, audiobooks, and streaming video and music; makerspaces; passports; and eclectic non-media items you can borrow like games, telescopes, HotSpots, membership passes, exercise equipment, and more!
If you enjoy these or the many other services that public libraries provide, please consider contacting your Ohio Representative and sharing a story about how libraries have helped you or made a difference in your life. State representatives will be making their final recommendations by April 8.