State Funding Alert

State Funding Update

Friday, April 11, 2025

Thank you for reaching out to your State Representative and sharing why your library is important to you. Representatives across Ohio heard from tens of thousands of library supporters.

After hearing from you, the House of Representatives made changes so that libraries in 39 of Ohio's counties are no longer in immediate danger of substantial funding cuts. They have also increased funding to public libraries by $5 million in each fiscal year, 2026 and 2027.

Still, the Public Library Fund (PLF) that guaranteed libraries would receive 1.7% of Ohio’s General Revenue Fund has been changed to a line-item appropriation leaving it more vulnerable to future cuts or even elimination.

The budget process now moves to the Senate. We will continue to advocate for reliable funding from the State to support the conservation of library services in our community.

Message from the Director

Thursday, April 3, 2025

Dear Patrons:

I write to you today with urgent news and a call to action in support of Ohio’s public libraries, which stand to lose stable funding from the State of Ohio in the budget bill now under consideration in the Ohio House of Representatives.

For nearly four decades, Ohio’s public libraries have received funding as a fixed percentage of state tax receipts. This arrangement prioritized public libraries, recognizing the unmatched value they provide to Ohioans of all walks of life: from literacy, education, student achievement, lifelong learning and cultural enrichment, to job and career readiness, support for small businesses and entrepreneurs, and many other ways that have helped Ohioans to lift themselves up by their own bootstraps to improve their lives.

The quality, accessibility, and cooperation among public libraries in Ohio is made possible by stable funding from the state of Ohio through the Public Library Fund (PLF), which currently distributes 1.7% of the state General Revenue Fund to Ohio’s public libraries.

How will the House’s proposed budget impact Ohio?

• It eliminates the Public Library Fund, canceling a successful, four-decades old partnership between the state and local public libraries.
• It replaces the Public Library Fund with a lump sum dollar amount, which will result in cuts to libraries across the state, and which will render public libraries more susceptible to cuts in future state budgets.
• Libraries in 39 of Ohio’s 88 counties will lose state funding over the current budget. This will impede resource sharing between libraries, one of the hallmarks of cooperation and collaboration between public libraries in Ohio.

In 2024 Wadsworth Public Library received over 30% of its annual revenue from the Public Library Fund. This funding has played no small role in allowing WPL to maintain quality facilities, robust collections, 70 operating hours per week, and a wide variety of programs for all ages throughout the year. Stable state funding is critical to sustaining these public goods and services for our community.

Please consider taking action today by following the above links to contact your State Representative and Speaker of the House Matt Huffman. (Note: this call to action expired on Wednesday, April 9, when the House passed their budget. See above update from April 11).

We appreciate your continued support and involvement.

Sincerely,

Daniel Slife
Director