Tell the Ohio House: Don’t Cut Ohio Libraries!
Ohio’s libraries are facing an unprecedented challenge in the Ohio House of Representatives. This week, the Ohio House introduced their version of the state budget. The bill introduced in the House Finance Committee eliminates the Public Library Fund (PLF) as it currently exists in state law.
How will the House’s version of the budget impact Ohio’s public libraries?
•The Ohio House of Representatives’ budget proposal eliminates the Public Library Fund, a mechanism that has funded Ohio’s public library systems for many decades.
•Ohio House Members plan to replace the Public Library Fund with a lump dollar amount for all Ohio libraries, which will result in cuts to libraries across the state.
•The Public Library Fund distributed the same amount in 2024 as it did in 2000; and House Members have put forward a dollar amount that does not account for a quarter of a century of inflation.