Ohio Libraries Face Crisis After Governor Reveals State Budget Cuts
Facing a projected $3.2 billion revenue shortfall in the next two years, Ohio Governor Ted Strickland called a press conference Friday to outline his plan to balance the budget. One of the highlights of the press conference was the governor's vow to support expanded gambling within the state, something he had long been against. Hidden away within the proposal, however, was an outline calling for a 50 percent reduction in state funding to Ohio's libraries. Home to some of the nation's best libraries, Cuyahoga County libraries would also be dealt a devastating blow and would be forced into making service and staff cutbacks unlike they've ever seen.
Ohio's libraries are funded through 2.2% of the state's total general tax revenue which goes to the Public Library Fund. These funds are distributed to libraries throughout the state. For 70% of the state's libraries the PLF is their only source of funding, and for the rest it still makes up a large portion of funding.
As the economic conditions in Ohio have continued to worsen, the tax revenues collected by the state have decreased, already resulting in reduced funding to the state's libraries. Cutting an already diminishing supply of funds in half would have such a drastic effect on Ohio libraries that many may be forced to cut essential services, while others may have to seriously consider closing altogether.
Cuyahoga County is home to nine independent library systems - Cleveland Heights-University Heights Public Library, Cleveland Public Library, Cuyahoga County Public Library, East Cleveland Public Library, Euclid Public Library, Lakewood Public Library, Rocky River Public Library, Shaker Heights Public Library, and Westlake Porter Public Library. In 2008, these libraries received a total of $64,184,082.33 in funding from the Public Library Fund (PLF), down 1.6% since 2007.
According to Kenneth Warren, Director of the Lakewood Public Library, "Lakewood Public Library would stand to lose approximately $1.2 million dollars under the Governor's proposed budget. The Public Library Fund amounts to approximately 50% of Lakewood Public Library's total revenue stream."
At the Westlake Porter Public Library, Director Andrew Mangels said that the proposed cuts "would most certainly impact our hours of operation, services, and materials negatively."
Across town at the Shaker Heights Public Library, Director Luren Dickinson says, "With that type of an impact, we would have to stop buying any new materials, impose hiring and wage freezes, eliminate Sunday hours and other hours during the week, leave vacant positions unfilled, etc."
How would this affect two of Cuyahoga County's biggest library systems - Cuyahoga County Public Library and Cleveland Public Library? Cleveland Public Library funding would be cut by $14 million over the biennium, which would force the library's board of trustees to enact severe budget reductions. Similarly disastrous effects would be felt at the Cuyahoga County Public Library.
Both libraries were honored this year for their exemplary services. CCPL was named the #2 library in the country for a population of 500,000+, topped only by Columbus Metropolitan Library in our state's capital. CPL was named a "5 Star Library" by Library Journal, one of only five libraries nationwide to receive this rating for their size. With the extreme budget cuts proposed, both would be hard-pressed to compete again for these awards in the future.
During a time of economic turmoil, with no light yet at the end of the tunnel, the residents of Ohio have come to rely on their public libraries. Libraries have seen an increase in use - from higher levels of foot traffic to increasing demands for computers - and have become a lifeline for many of Ohio's unemployed and under-employed hoping to apply for unemployment, benefits, and even new jobs.
Warren added, "At a critical moment of economic crisis when access to strong public libraries and their resources are most needed by people, a funding reduction on the scale proposed by the Governor would devastate Ohio's public libraries and massively disenfranchise citizens from essential cultural, learning and technology resources."
Mangels echoed the Lakewood director's sentiments, stating: "Libraries are on the front lines of the recession battle by serving as place for people to job seek, apply for social services, attend free programs, and so much more. The number of people visiting and checking out items is skyrocketing at libraries all over the state. Libraries are designed to be a community space and a clearinghouse for information. Libraries are needed now more than ever."
Ohio's libraries have already been struggling to adjust to funding reductions as a result of the harsh economic conditions and lower tax collections by the state. As residents continue to lose jobs and foreclosures pile up, those few library systems with levies are experiencing reduced levels of tax collection locally as well. The 50 percent reduction by the state would be the final nail in the coffin for many of Ohio's libraries.
By the end of the month, the state is due to have their biennium budget finalized. Gov. Strickland has already emphasized the urgency of the situation and the catastrophic effects that any delay in passing a budget could have throughout the state. D-Day, it appears, will be July 1 - the day we will find out what the state has ultimately decided upon. If Strickland's budget passes as-is, while we as a nation will be celebrating the birth of our country, Ohio will be mourning the death of its libraries.
A CALL TO ARMS: WHAT'S BEING DONE & WHAT YOU CAN DO TO HELP
With only a week until the state's budget is due to be finalized, that leaves us with very little time. Library staff have done an excellent job so far in rallying the troops and organizing campaigns to contact elected officials and get the word out to local media.
On Monday, the Ohio Library Council sent letters to all members of the Ohio General Assembly urging them to reject Gov. Strickland's proposal. OLC also sent a news release to all Statehouse news correspondents and statewide media.
We are urging all Ohioans to get involved in the fight to Save Ohio Libraries. Whether you work at a library, know someone who does, or simply enjoy the libraries our great state has to offer, you can help make a difference. Contact your state representatives and the Governor by e-mail or phone, urging them to reject the cuts to library funding. A list of representatives' contact information is presented below.
Contact Governor Ted Strickland:
Email: Fill out the online form here.
Call: (614) 466-3555
Fax: (614) 466-9354
You can also leave a note for Gov. Strickland on his:
- Facebook page.
- Twitter account.
- Or his MySpace page.
Find & contact your rep. from the Ohio House of Representatives:
Phone, fax, & email contact information, organized by county.
Find & contact your rep. from the Ohio Senate:
Enter your zip code to see who your Senate rep. is.
Contact the Conference Committee (they will be determining the final budget):
Vernon Sykes
Phone: 614- 466-3100
Fax: 614-719-6944
district44@ohr.state.oh.us
Jay Goyal
Phone: 614-466-5802
Fax: 614-719-3973
district73@ohr.state.oh.us
Ron Amstutz
Phone: 614-466-1474
Fax: 614-719-0003
district03@ohr.state.oh.us
Senate:
Dale Miller
Phone: 614-466-5123
SD23@maild.sen.state.oh.us
John Carey
Phone: 614-466-8156
SD17@senate.state.oh.us
Mark Wagoner
Phone: 614-466-8060
SD02@senate.state.oh.us
You may also wish to join the Save Ohio Libraries group on Facebook, and keep up to date on the latest developments at SaveOhioLibraries.com. Lastly, bring awareness on Twitter by using the #saveohiolibraries hash tag when tweeting about the issue.
Comments
Maybe we need to streamline the public library system in Ohio. Do we really need 10 mediocre small libraries in the city?
This is what happens when you mess with socialism. Tell people that no matter what they do, how badly they act, or who they hurt, or
how lazy they are... They are guaranteed the minimums to life for doing nothing. Food (food stamps via welfare) and Shelter (housing
assistance via section 8 and welfare), without having to excerpt any effort... Of course they won't work! They have no incentive to
even TRY. It is now at the point where you have a better quality of life sitting at home cashing checks, than actually going out and
getting a job.
If you have low or no income of your own, you get access to cheaper housing programs, cheaper housing loans, discounts on utilities,
free healthcare, free dental, free vision insurance. People that are out there working 60+ hours a week don't have access to any of
these. People that are working 60+ hours a week, suffer in pain because they don't have free medical and dental. People that lay on a
couch watching oprah are fully cared for. Why are we rewarding the Lazy and incompetant, and punishing those that work as hard as they
can? Why should the people working 60+ hours a week, have to pay for the leech that sits there doing nothing all day?
After years of giving more and more to those unwilling to work, they always demand more. So who do you take it from? The middle class
and upper class. After years of pillaging these funds from the middle class, you turn them into the lower class. The upper class, those
with the ability to recognize they are being raped by their own government, will get up and leave, as they have the ability.
Welcome to California, this state is a prime example of 'entitlement' and what it will do to a civilized country. Everyone in the state
feels they are entitled to a high quality of life, despite not doing anything to achieve it. They milked the middle class untill it was
impossible to survive there. California became a state that even if you earned 200k a year, you still couldn't afford a house. They
then started milking the companies for the tax base they needed, what happened? They got up and left. The state is now in a crisis that
it wont soon recover from.
What would happen to a wild bear if you secured it in your house, fed it and cared for it for years? It would depend solely on YOU for
sustinance. It may act appreciative at first, but when feeding time comes, it expects you to provide. When the time comes that you can
no longer afford to pay for its food, There are only 2 possible outcomes. 1 - It has lost its will to survive, and will perish, being
unable to obtain food on its own anymore because it simply forgot how, or 2 - it will select you as its next dish... This is where we
are at now, we have millions of people that forgot how to survive on their own, and are now depending on others to feed them... Guess
what? Most of the others can no longer afford it, and those that can, are no longer willing.
You are now stuck with a very large population of looters and leaches, those that feel entitled to everything they need and want
without having to work for it, and no population base left to pillage to pay for it. Will these people learn how to survive on their
own? Not likely... The most likely situation is that they will immolate anyone they feel *can* pay for them. The few people left that
are capable of it will be destroyed in order to to satisfy the leeches.
No one should be left with starvation as the only possible outcome, but, anyone that wishes to suck at the government teet should be
required to work 40 hours a week, just like everyone else. This work should be hard and degrading, they should WANT to get off the
government teet. It doesn't matter what (if any) disabilities they have, everyone can do SOMETHING. From data entry, to punching
license plates, to answering phones... Everyone is capable of SOMETHING.
Fellons, those that steal large amounts from others can't vote or own guns.... Why should a leech of a different type be treated any
differently?
If this message offends you... Ask yourself, Are you a leech, or a producer?
I would like to correct the comment of the first poster. Cuyahoga libraries have continually been ranked among the best in the nation. Lakewood has consistently received #1 for its population category, by Hennen's national survey.
You are mistaken. Cuyahoga's independent libraries deliver top notch services.
And, as with all things, we get what we pay for.
The comments of the first poster are absurd. Ohio has consistently ranked number 1 in the country for public library services. It is the only positive #1 ranking that Ohio has. You have no clue what a mediocre library is, but if the governor and the legislature follow through with this budget....you will.
Ohio has consistently ranked number 1 in the country for public library services.These steel plate for boilers have a little bit of additionally alloy elements to boost the properties of steel.