YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio – When Ohio library professionals meet with state officials Tuesday for Library Legislative Day, proposed changes to how libraries are funded in the state likely will dominate their conversations.
The state budget proposal released this week by the Ohio House of Representatives’ finance committee makes key changes to library funding, notably the elimination of the Public Library Fund, and setting library as a line item in the state budget based on the 2024 budget, with the funds to be distributed based on a per capita formula.
PLF, as structured now, is set at 1.7% of the state’s general revenue fund, according to Aimee Fifarek, executive director of the Public Library of Youngstown & Mahoning County.
“That’s a wonderful way to do it because the portion of the money we get is dependent on how well the state does,” she said. “In difficult times, the library sees less money, which is only understandable, so we rise and fall with the success of the state.”
Substitute House Bill 96, if approved, would allocate $485 million to libraries for the 2026 fiscal year and $495 million in fiscal year 2027, according to the Ohio Library Council, the statewide advocacy group for libraries. Under what is being proposed, libraries would see more than $100 million in reduction over the biennium and cut funding to public libraries in 31 counties effective July 1, the organization maintained.
“Ohio’s public libraries already experienced a $27 million loss in state funding in Calendar Year 2024 as compared to CY 2023. This resulted in libraries being funded at the same level they were 25 years ago,” Michelle Francis, Ohio Library Council executive director, said in a news release.
Gov. Mike DeWine’s proposed budget provided a slight increase to the library fund, to 1.75% of the state’s general revenue fund, adding about $15 million, Fifarek said.
“The budget is a long way from a finished product. This initial proposal from the finance committee still contains an increase over FY 2024 funding levels in terms of real dollars, providing nearly half a billion dollars per year to public libraries,” state Rep. Tex Fischer of Boardman, R-59th, said in an emailed statement. “Ohio leads the nation in state library funding per capita at levels well over 1,100% higher than the national average, and is still significantly higher than our neighboring states.”
Fisher also said he understood the concern from library advocates about shifting to a fixed dollar amount from a fixed percentage of the GRF but said it would ensure “a projectable and steady funding source that doesn’t fluctuate on a month to month basis.”
PLYMC would see a 12.8% loss of library funds, or $1.35 million annually, Fifarek warned. The library’s annual book budget is $900,000.
Trumbull County libraries would see a 9.9% decrease, or $891,00 annually, said Michael Stepp, PLYMC’s strategic communications officer. Columbiana County libraries would see a similar decrease.
“This looks like a solution looking for a problem, a problem that doesn’t exist,” said Jim Wilkins, Warren-Trumbull County Public Library executive director.
The loss of funds for the WTCPL could be equivalent to nearly its entire book budget, he said. Trumbull County has seven independent libraries, so the allocation is divided among them.
Both Wilkins and Fifarek highlighted the work their organizations do in their respective counties.
In 2023, Trumbull County libraries hosted 4,687 programs attended by 68,000 patrons, free of charge, and had nearly 1.3 million visitors, Wilkins said.
“That’s 12½ sold-out [Ohio State] Buckeye football games that just visited libraries just in Trumbull County,” he said.
Library usage levels run counter cyclical to a successful economy, Fifarek said. During difficult economic times, people come to the library for movies because they’ve canceled their streaming and cable subscriptions, and for books because they are no longer buying them. They also come for assistance to upskill, apply for benefits or search for employment because they’ve lost their job.
Fifarek also acknowledged the various positive developments happening in Mahoning County and the broader Lake to River region, including the designation of a state innovation hub in Youngstown, developments at the Youngstown Business Incubator and even a modest increase in local population. While the library isn’t directly involved in these developments, it provides support for the activities taking place.
“The goal is to bring more quality jobs and people into this region and to get better jobs for people who are here,” Fifarek said. “People want amenities. They want to know they have good schools, they have good libraries, they have good parks. To undercut the success that we are finally seeing, I don’t understand what the ultimate goal is.”
State Rep. Lauren McNally of Youngstown, D-65th, pointed out the budget proposal also cuts funding for public schools and Medicaid.
“If I look at the things that the Republicans are trying to do, [what] I conclude is they want less publicly funded things in general,” she said. She noted the decrease in funding will have an adverse impact on rural communities that need libraries more because they have worse internet, fewer community spaces and more limited options to access books and other materials.
In addition to the funding cuts, she pointed out that the bill also imposes mandates regarding obscene and explicit materials and even composition of library boards. She also said that if she were DeWine, she would be angry about what Republican House members eliminated from his budget proposal.
The governor’s press secretary, Dan Tierney, also said it was “very early” in the budget process. “The budget will still see House floor amendments, Senate committee amendments, Senate floor amendments and conference committee amendments,” he said.
In addition to lobbying state officials next week, local libraries and OLC also are asking library patrons and local stakeholders to contact their state representatives and House Speaker Matt Huffman to express their support for libraries before the full House considers the legislation, which is expected next Wednesday.
“Hopefully, they will advocate for the library to ask them to not cut the public library fund and to keep the library strong,” Fifarek said.
Pictured at top: Aimee Fifarek, executive director of the Public Library of Youngstown & Mahoning County.