Ohio Governor’s Budget Would Slash Library Funding 30% More

Ohio Governor’s Budget Would Slash Library Funding 30% More

Public libraries throughout Ohio have altered their landing pages to alert patrons about Gov. Ted Strickland’s draconian June 19 proposal to slash a total of $227.3 million over the next two years from the state’s Public Library Fund. “Tell everyone you know. We only have days to make a difference,” urged the Columbus Metropolitan Library. The messages emphasized the urgency of contacting state lawmakers on the conference committee before June 30 when they must finalize the FY2010–11 budget.

In unveiling his framework for closing a budget gap projected to be $3.2 billion, Gov. Strickland stated: “Quite frankly, Ohio has not confronted such difficult circumstances for 80 years.” He added, “In order to balance the budget we must reduce services that Ohioans have needed and received in the past but the state can no longer continue to provide.”

Lynda Murray, director of government and legal services for the Ohio Library Council, told American Libraries that the proposal would cut the Public Library Fund by 30%, or $100 million per year, in FY2010–11. However, since library coffers already shrank by 20% in FY2009 due to a drop in tax revenue, of which libraries get 2.2%, the cumulative effect of enacting Strickland’s budget would be the halving of library support for some 70% of the 251 public libraries that are funded solely by the state, according to a June 20 statement issued by OLC. The day before, Murray had sent an email blast to Ohio library directors advising that libraries mobilize patrons and that trustees “meet as soon as possible and consider their options, which may include ‘mothballing’ the library for six months” if there is no local funding.

Public library systems made it crystal clear what the consequences of such an enormous cut would be. The front page of the Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County warned that as many as 20 branches would close and 250 employees laid off. Cleveland Public Library’s website asked rhetorically, “Why should you care?” and answered “Your library may not be open when you need it.” In Sandusky, the library board weighed in June 22 with a resolution (Word file) condemning Strickland’s “significant steps toward destroying Ohio’s commitment to free and equal public libraries [and] urging the Governor and the legislature to demonstrate the political courage to ask voters to support important services.”

Advocates also turned to media outlets. “This could be the end of the library system as we know it,” Jean Ruark, director of communications for the Mansfield/Richland County Public Library, said in the June 22 Mansfield News Journal. “I’m just really angry right now at the balancing of the budget on the backs of libraries,” MRCPL Director Joseph Palmer told the newspaper, explaining that officials were eyeing the closure of more than half the system’s branches and the layoff of 100 of the library’s 185 employees.

Ohioans seemed to share Palmer’s sentiments; they wasted no time in flooding Gov. Strickland’s Facebook page with entreaties that he reconsider. Many noted the irony of the governor’s assurance that the cuts would position the state “for the job creation needed for near-term recovery and for long-term economic growth after the recovery” when the reality is that families in crisis have been flocking to libraries in record numbers. Several linked to the State Library of Ohio’s READ poster featuring Strickland; commenter Michael Kehoe remarked, “Hope you mean it.” Strickland’s office was also flooded with phone calls; gubernatorial spokesperson Amanda Wurst said in the June 23 Toledo Blade that “there were 1,356 calls through our switchboard, 80% of which were regarding library funding.” On a normal day, the office receives 150 calls, she added.

Euclid Public Library Reference Librarian Mike Stein, who launched The Library Is Now Closed June 20 to rally and track resistance, noted June 23 at 9:23 a.m. Eastern time that the newly formed Facebook group Save Our Libraries formed by OLC had swelled to more than 5,600 members; four hours later, there were more than 7,700. Both websites are promoting a morning rally outside Cleveland Public Library’s Main Library June 24.

Beverly Goldberg, American Libraries Online
Posted on June 23, 2009.