Library Funding Update

Dear Library Patrons and Community Members,

We are incredible grateful to all of our community members who reached out to their representatives and shared their stories of what the library means to you over the past few days. Your support makes a difference!

What you need to know:

• 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. While we appreciate the House's efforts to adjust the funding proposal, it's important to note that the current version of the bill still falls $90.8 million short of the Governor's recommended funding for public libraries over the biennium and $36.7 million short of what public libraries would have received at current funding levels.
• Rather than funding public libraries as a percentage of the state's general revenue fund, the Ohio House proposal allocates a set amount to public libraries through a line-item appropriation. This could result in less stable funding for Ohio’s public libraries in the future.

Whats Next:

• The House will advance their budget to the Senate.
• We will keep you up-to-date on what happens to library funding.
• The final bill will go to the Governor for signing by June 30, 2025.
• We may ask for your support along any step of this budget process!

 Thank you for Supporting Ohio Libraries!