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State budget cuts could close some libraries

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By Laura A. Bischoff, Staff Writer 8:47 PM Friday, June 19, 2009

Public libraries across Ohio will likely close their doors if the state sticks them with another $112 million budget cut on top of the steep revenue decline they’ve already endured, said Lynda Murray of the Ohio Library Council.

Gov. Ted Strickland announced $2.4 billion in spending cuts late Friday, June 19. Buried within that was the hit to Ohio’s 251 library systems, two-thirds of which do not have a local property tax levy to rely on.

“I think, under the scenario, most of them will close...at least 50 percent of the time,” Murray said.

When told of the additional cuts, Dayton Metro Library Director Tim Kambitch said, “I want to puke is what I want to do.”

He added that even if voters renew the library levy, currently planned for the November ballot, Dayton Metro Library will have to close some of its 20 branches if the new round of state funding cuts goes through.

State funding for libraries is tied to tax revenues, so when those started to fall off money for the libraries declined. State funding to libraries totaled $458 million in fiscal year 2008 but it dipped to $360 million this current fiscal year, Murray said. Now Strickland is proposing that the level drop to $248 million, she said.

“We think it’s catastrophic,” Murray said. “Public libraries will close. They cannot remain open at that funding level.”

Contact this reporter at (614)224-1624 or lbischoff@DaytonDailyNews.com.

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