CENTRAL OHIO -- Strickland announced $2.4 billion in spending cuts late Friday, including a $227 million cut to Ohio's 251 library systems, two-thirds of which do not have a local property tax levy on which to rely.
Ohio faces a $3.2-billion budget deficit amid declining tax revenues.
Looking to close the growing state budget gap, Strickland proposed cuts to the Public Library Fund (PLF) of $122.5 million in fiscal year 2010 and $114.8 in fiscal year 2011. The cuts would force systems to operate at 1990 levels.
Lynda Murray, director of government relations at the Ohio Library Council, said she sees the massive cut as the final checkout for many of Ohio's 251 library systems.
"Seventy percent of these libraries have no other source of money to operate. The other 30 have levies but still use those state dollars for successful programs," Murray said.
Programs such as the Job Help Centers at the Columbus Metropolitan Library system face an uncertain future.
If the cuts were to pass, the system's portion drops from $24 million a year to just $11 million.
Columbus Metropolitan Library Executive Director Patrick Losinski said closings were inevitable.
"Our branches are at capacity. So many of the people that come in today need the services we provide as they struggle to find new employment. They use everything from our computers to resume books -- to improve themselves and look for that next job. They will have no place to go if we shut our doors," Losinski said. "We actually have letters from customers that told us they landed a job and they attribute it to visiting the job help center at the library."
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