Is the state cutting library funding?
It’s complicated.
The plan unveiled by Ohio House Republicans would eliminate the Ohio Public Library Fund, replacing it with line-item amounts appropriated for each year.
On Tuesday, the House Finance Committee amended the budget to allocate $490 million in library funds for fiscal year 2026 and $500 million for fiscal year 2027.
If the current funding formula were unchanged, the Ohio Office of Budget and Management projects that the Ohio Public Library Fund could contain up to $530 million under the current formula this year.
The Public Library Fund receives 1.7% of Ohio’s general revenue fund, which is powered by sales and personal income taxes and other revenue sources. So it’s a fluctuating funding source, and actual revenues can fall short of projections.
Republican budget architects say they project the Public Library Fund will only reach $493 million this year. Last year’s library fund was $489.3 million.
So the House GOP proposal would reduce library funding if compared to current OBM projections, but increase it compared to House Republicans’ projections and last year’s funding.
A $100M cut?
Libraries claim the House budget proposal would be a $100 million budget cut. Here’s where that comes from.
The Ohio House’s budget proposal differs from Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine’s budget pitch, which would have increased the PLF’s slice of the general revenue fund to 1.75%. This would generate $531.7 million in 2026 and $549.1 million in 2027.
An Ohio Library Council analysis estimated that the House’s version of the budget would reduce state funding for Ohio’s public libraries by more than $100 million over the next two years — compared to the governor’s proposal to expand the fund, not compared to current funding.
What do libraries say?
According to the Ohio Library Council, an organization that advocates for public libraries, roughly 51% of the total funding for Ohio’s public libraries comes from the state through the Public Library Fund.
Dayton Metro Library officials said they’re anticipating a $3 million difference, which could result in decreased operating hours, programming, library collections and even the closure of some lower-traffic branches.
“Ohio’s public libraries have had a partnership with the state to deliver services at the local level for almost 100 years and that funding is now at risk,” Michelle Francis, executive director of the Ohio Library Council, in a press release. “Public libraries serve all ages, and funding cuts of this magnitude could jeopardize the vital services that our communities rely on.”
Similarly, the Clark County Public Library shared a plea with its patrons on social media Thursday evening, saying the Ohio House’s proposal could impact services like children’s programs, hotspot loans and more. The library called on community members to contract their state representatives to discuss library funding.
“We appreciate the community we serve and your support for the library!” the social media post said.
What do lawmakers say?
In the Republican-dominated Ohio House, moving public library funding away from a percentage model has been framed as a way to be more flexible in determining how much public libraries actually need from the state every two years.
“Many moons ago, somebody decided that the public library fund would be a certain percentage of the general revenue fund. The issue with that is, it doesn’t necessarily always reflect all of the other budgetary concerns that are happening,” House Speaker Matt Huffman, R-Lima, told reporters last week. “If you get 1.7%, you don’t have to come in and say, ‘Hey, here’s why we need all this extra money.‘”
Huffman denied that the proposed change had anything to do with critiques of local libraries, like from that of Rep. Rodney Creech, R-West Alexandria, who publicly criticized the New Lebanon branch of the Dayton Metro Library for carrying tampons in the men’s restroom.
With the switch, Ohio House Finance Chair Brian Stewart, R-Ashville, argued that the state should quit “autopilot” spending, where possible.
“I think every two years we need to do our job and say, ‘What is the actual amount of money that we believe should be spent here?’ and make that decision,” Stewart said.
House Democrats, meanwhile, oppose the switch. Minority Leader Allison Russo, D-Upper Arlington, said she has “huge concerns.”
“Listen, we’re talking about a 100-year precedent that we’ve used to fund our public library system here in the state of Ohio — which, by the way, is one of the top public library systems in the country because they have reliable, predictable funding,” Russo said.
