Ohio Governor Proposes to Hack Library Funding

Link to June 22 Dayton Business Journal article, "Libraries respond to 'devastating' Ohio funding cuts".

Excerpt: Libraries across the region are responding to a last-minute cut to the state budget that would eliminate more than $200 million in direct funding.

Gov. Ted Strickland announced plans Friday to remove $213.4 million in funding to Ohio’s public libraries to fund other budget priorities. The funding for Ohio’s libraries would drop to half of 2008 levels under his proposal.

To put this figure in perspective, the state of Ohio provided 62.1% of all funding (local, state, federal, other) to its public libraries in 2006. The average is 9.2%. (Source: Public Library Survey, Fiscal Year 2006, Institute of Museums and Libraries, December 2008.)

Link to June 20 Ohio Library Council alert.