Local library-goers breathed a collective sigh of relief on April 9 after the Cincinnati & Hamilton County Public Library (CHPL) announced the Ohio House removed a budget provision that would have meant an insane $14.5-million cut to the library system’s funding had it been adopted. While a win is a win, our library system is still facing the danger of potential cuts in the upcoming budget.
While the cuts wouldn’t be to the level of $14.5 million, they would still have an enormous impact on the services, resources and programs CHPL provides to over 830,000 people who live in Hamilton County — with more than 450,500 of those people being library cardholders, according to the library system. And living in a time where community is more important than ever, these proposed cuts would be devastating to those of us who see the library as a safe haven: a place filled with endless stories to fuel the imagination; opportunities to learn more about the world; resources that can help advance your education or career; and a space to connect with friends, neighbors and educators.
The proposed $14.5-million budget cut
Last week, CHPL sounded the alarm on their website and across social media, explaining the Ohio House’s proposed budget provision cutting library budgets across the state. On April 1, the House put forth its version of a state budget for the next two years, which rejected Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine’s proposal to increase the Public Library Fund (PLF) from 1.7% to 1.75% of tax revenue collected in the state’s General Revenue Fund (GRF).
Instead, under the House’s ideal budget, the PLF would be eliminated. Funding would come through line-item appropriation directly from the GRF, meaning upward of $100 million would have been taken away from Ohio’s 251 public library systems. This change to funding would also hurt libraries’ ability to forecast revenue and long-term financial sustainability.
In a social media post, CHPL said about 50% of its budget comes from the PLF, with the other half coming from local property tax levies. The library would lose 29% of its funding — $14.5 million — starting on July 1 if the budget provision were adopted. In the post, the library encouraged Ohio residents to reach out to state representatives to share what the library meant to them.
A small victory, but more work ahead
It turns out messing with Ohio’s libraries isn’t a smart move. Libraries are beloved in the Buckeye State, with the Ohio Library Council stating Ohioans visited their local libraries more than 44.6 million times in 2023. As State Rep. Anita Somani, D-Dublin, pointed out in a press release, that’s the equivalent of 434 sold-out games at OSU’s Ohio Stadium.
And, according to the American Library Association, CHPL has the second-highest circulation in the country, only behind the New York Public Library. Our library system was also ranked second in holdings and 15th in the number of visits — and that list is comprised of mostly cities and counties much larger than Cincinnati and Hamilton County. In terms of visits, Ohio’s other two Big C library systems ranked in the top 25, with the Cleveland area’s Cuyahoga County Public Library coming in at No. 11 and the Columbus Metropolitan Library ranking at No. 23.
With all those library visits, it’s no surprise Ohio’s state reps were reportedly flooded by constituents demanding they remove the proposed cuts from the budget. On Wednesday — in the middle of National Library Week, mind you — the House finalized its proposal with a vote, removing the devastating cut, but still allocating less money to Ohio’s libraries.
Instead of funding libraries with a set percentage of the GRF, the Ohio House proposal would still allocate a set amount through a line-item appropriation. And while the appropriated amount is $10 million more than initially proposed, it’s still less than what libraries currently receive, meaning less stable funding, and $90.8 million less than DeWine’s proposed budget.
The budget bill moves to the Ohio Senate, and CHPL says they now have the opportunity to advocate for changes.
“We may call on you again for support, as the budget process could last through June,” the library wrote, addressing patrons and residents in a blog Wednesday.
Protecting the library
I’ve spent countless hours in libraries throughout my life. As a West Side kid, my mom took me to the Delhi library at least once or twice a month to trade in enormous stacks of books for more enormous stacks. When I think about the physical spaces I grew up in, the Delhi library is always at the top of my mind, playing like a film reel of a tree growing in one place, except it’s me growing as I wind my way through the library.
As I grew, I hopped from one part of the library to the next — the children’s section where I read every Bill Peet, Spot, Clifford and Max and Ruby book I could find, to juvenile fiction and non-fiction where I bookwormed my way through the Harry Potter, Animal Ark, Saddle Club and Thoroughbred series (I was very much a horse girl). I was into fantasy novels as a teenager and magical realism as a young adult. Throughout each stage as a reader, the library was there to foster my interests and keep me engaged and learning. I loved reading so much that I abandoned any practical or rational thought to pursue writing and editing as a career, which thankfully is more or less working out so far.
And while fostering a love of reading is the library’s most well-known strength, it’s not its only strength. I worked as a shelver for CHPL’s Hyde Park and Delhi branches during college and saw firsthand the community-oriented third space the library provides. I was often off in my own world when I explored the stacks as a kid, but while I was doing that, the library was also offering invaluable resources to other patrons, from their online research databases that you can access for free with just a library card number, to continuing learning platforms like Treehouse, which provides technology education courses, and language courses through Transparent Language.
I helped older patrons navigate Microsoft Word to create resumes and younger ones fill out applications for their own library cards. The library is now home to six different MakerSpaces, which allow patrons to use things like 3D printers, laser cutters, sewing and embroidery machines, audio recording equipment and more — all for free. There are free meeting and study rooms you can reserve; kids can get help with homework or even free after-school meals at some branches; there’s also the library’s Discovery Pass, which allows patrons to visit attractions around Cincinnati, like the Cincinnati Museum Center, American Sign Museum and Taft Museum of Art, for, you guessed it, free.
Let’s not forget the number of community programs the library offers — ranging from fun afterschool events like arts and crafts, LEGO building and kids’ book clubs, to ESOL classes, knitting groups, a monthly Spice Club, board game days and drop-in hours where older adults can learn how to use technology. Not only are these kinds of events and programs fun, but they also build community and allow you to meet new people and foster friendships with neighbors who share your interests. Study after study shows many populations are growing more lonely and isolated, making book clubs and knitting groups and gathering to learn some local history more valuable than ever.
And though not everything should be about money, for the fiscally minded who may cry, “But we need to cut the budget!”, libraries actually have significant returns on investment. It’s estimated that for every $1 Ohioans spend on libraries, libraries generate $5 in economic value.
Ohio’s representatives and senators should probably take this recent pushback against cutting library budgets as a reminder of who they work for. It’s not special interest groups or lobbies, but the voters who elected them and the constituents who entrust them with our tax money — and the constituents have spoken loud and clear on where that money should go: protecting our public libraries.
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This article appears in Apr 9-15, 2025.