Ohio's public libraries may be forced to cut hours and even staff now that the Ohio General Assembly accepted the 2010-2011 state fiscal budget Monday, which reduces Ohio's Public Library Fund by $84.3 million - almost 11 percent - during the next two years.
The cuts aren't as significant as Gov. Ted Strickland's original June 19 proposal to reduce public library spending by $227.3 million, or 30 percent. All cuts for state programs are an effort to tackle Ohio's $3.2 billion budget gap, said Strickland spokesperson Amanda Wurst.
"It depends on your frame of reference of whether 11 percent is good or bad. But 11 (percent) is definitely better than 30 (percent)," said State Rep. Timothy Derickson (R-Oxford).
The Public Library Fund (PLF) cuts are an added loss to the previous 20 percent drop in local government funds due to declining state revenues in early 2009. However, Derickson said libraries have not complained about the preceding decrease.
While public library systems, such as Lane Public Library that serves half of Butler County, are relieved to be receiving more than anticipated since the governor's original budget cut proposal, some say it is still too early to tell what kind of effects less funding will have on Ohio public libraries.
"Certainly the more money we get the better the news it is for us," said Carrie Mancuso, Lane Public Library public relations manager. "The hard part is that these are all estimated numbers and we don't have a good feel yet for if it will it be a 30 percent cut for us or will it be more?"
Mancuso said Lane Libraries are still waiting to hear from the state the exact numbers of what kind of money they will have to continue to their services.
"We're very up in the air right now about what we're receiving and at this point, we don't know what that's going to mean for the Lane Library system," Mancuso said. "We are doing our best to figure out what kind of money we're going to get and how to use that money to benefit our customers."
When looking at how the library operates as a whole, Mancuso said they are searching for money-saving options such as changing their hours.
"We are looking at all angles (of the operation) - staffing, hours, materials, everything - not to say those things are going to change, but we have to look across the board and see where we can find the money that we need."
Derickson said he hopes libraries won't be too dramatically hurt by the budget cuts since this is a time when people utilize library services most to help them find or change careers.
"Libraries provide types of services to help re-employ folks as well as acting as a safe place to go and get away from things," Derickson said.
