The Peebles Public Library, and libraries across the county, serve as a place where people can go to learn, read, and escape the rigors of the world. Changing the funding model or decreasing funds could impact a large number of Ohioans. (Photo by Ryan Applegate)
By Ryan Applegate
People’s Defender
Public libraries across Ohio — long considered one of the most cherished and reliable community resources — are once again in the spotlight as state lawmakers deliberate over the biennial budget. With proposed cuts threatening to slash millions from the Public Library Fund (PLF), librarians and citizens alike are raising their voices to protect vital services that many Ohioans depend on every day.
For Nick Slone, Executive Director of the Adams County Public Library, the stakes couldn’t be higher.
“We just want something that’s stable and dependable,” Slone said in a recent interview.
Slone was among dozens of library advocates who visited the Ohio Statehouse in Columbus on April 8 to meet with legislators and discuss the proposed state budget — a document that shapes funding for public services across the board, including the state’s 251 public library systems.
Since 1933, Ohio’s public libraries have been funded through a percentage of the state’s general revenue — a model that Slone and others argue provides stability and fairness.
“With this year’s budget, Governor DeWine, which we really want to thank him for his proposal, he proposed setting us at 1.75 percent of the general revenue fund,” Slone explained. “Now, that would give us stable funding and would give us a slight increase next year, according to budget projections from the Legislative Service Commission.”
But things changed dramatically when the Ohio House of Representatives released its version of the budget.
“We were kind of, we were surprised when the House’s proposal was $100 million less, again, than the governor’s and shifted the way that we’re funded to a method that’s much more vulnerable to being cut,” Slone said.
In addition to cutting $100 million in funding over two years, the House proposal removes the PLF from being a percentage of revenue and instead turns it into a fixed line-item appropriation. This change, Slone warns, could make future funding even more uncertain.
“It’s susceptible to any… you know, future governors can cut it at the last minute, and it’s a break from the way that libraries have been funded for over 100 years,” he said.
Even before any proposed cuts are finalized, the squeeze on library budgets is being felt locally.
“We already, calendar year 24 compared to calendar year 23, we saw $27 million less, just because of tax revenue,” Slone said. “Already we’ve had to limit how many e-books can check out.”
Popular services like Hoopla — a digital media platform for e-books, movies, and more — have been scaled back from 20 monthly checkouts to just five per patron.
“The prices on e-books keep going up, the publishers keep raising those prices, and so we’ve had to make some decisions,” Slone noted.
If funding continues to decline, Slone warns that libraries like those in Adams County will face even more difficult decisions — including potential reductions in operating hours, program cuts, and fewer materials for patrons.
“When you go to cut in libraries, the only way you can cut really is your open hours, and you have to have enough people to cover open hours, and the materials that you offer to the public, the services,” he said. “And of course, we would try to minimize the effects as much as possible, but we would have to make some difficult decisions.”
Beyond books and digital services, libraries offer safe spaces, youth programming, and community connectivity — services that can’t be easily measured in dollars and cents.
“You know, there’s so much, seems like so much going on, so much insanity in the world,” Slone said. “And I’ve always been passionate about libraries because we’re like an oasis in the midst of that.”
Slone points to children from difficult home environments who rely on the library as a safe haven — a place where they can read, learn, and feel supported.
“We want to be here as much as possible for them,” he said.
In a state where 434 sold-out Ohio State football games wouldn’t equal the number of visits to public libraries in a single year, Slone says the demand is clear.
“In 2023, Ohioans visited their local libraries more than 44.6 million times,” he said.
Ohio’s public library system is often recognized as one of the best in the nation, thanks in part to its open-access model. Unlike some states, Ohio allows any resident to use any library across the state.
“If it got to a situation where, each county was more like an every man for himself. It’d be a lot harder to get all the books I need to book club, for example,” Slone warned
That kind of isolation could undo decades of statewide collaboration and resource sharing.
“There’s a lot of resource sharing between libraries,” he said. “If things get to where they are in some other states, it’s not, there’s not as much resource sharing outside of the county and with other libraries as well, which is one of the ways we keep costs down.”
Although House lawmakers made some adjustments in response to public outcry — bumping funding back up by $5 million per year — the proposal still sits $90 million below the governor’s recommendation over the two-year cycle.
Now, all eyes turn to the Ohio Senate, which is expected to release its version of the budget in May. The final budget must be passed by June 30 and take effect by July 1, 2025.
In the meantime, Slone and his colleagues across the state are encouraging residents to keep using their libraries and to stay engaged.
“For now, the best thing everyone can do is just to use your public libraries and continue to write those stories for yourself,” he said. “And then if we need… when we start this process with the Senate… if it looks like we need their help again, we’ll reach out again.”
As the legislative clock ticks down, library supporters are urged to continue contacting their state representatives and senators to advocate for stable funding and the preservation of Ohio’s library infrastructure.
“We just want to maintain that relationship with the state and continue to… we prove our value,” Slone said. “We show them our statistics and… just tell them all our stories.”
“The demand for public library services at the local level is growing and expanding,” Slone said. “Our usage is increasing, and the rising cost of inflation can no longer be absorbed or ignored.”
