Two Ohio Legislators Oppose
Statewide Library Freeze
As the state of Ohio edges toward a budget that would freeze state funding for public libraries at current levels, two state legislators have taken the lead in opposing the measure. Rep. Timothy J. Grendell (R-Chesterland) and Sen. Timothy Ryan (D-Niles) said in the April 17 Willoughby News-Herald they hope to find alternatives to Gov. Bob Taft’s proposed cuts, though they warned it would be an uphill battle.
Grendell, who sits on the House Finance Committee, proposes undoing the freeze altogether and bringing the state’s library funding back to the 6.3% level it was at before earlier curbs in the 1990s reduced it to 5.7%. Failing that, his alternative plan is to delay the freeze until 2002 so that libraries can carry out budget plans through 2001. Ryan agreed, adding, “When you talk about libraries, you’re talking about one of the best investments.”
Libraries across the state have been scrambling to cut programs and services, expecting the worst. Deborah O’Connor, director of the Geauga County Public Library System, which stands to lose more than $555,000 over the next three years, told the News-Herald that the library has already halted some planned programs for fear it would have to pull the plug or lay off staff once funding is lost.
Ohio State University/Columbus announced a campus-wide hiring freeze effective April 16 and put the library on notice that money for book and journal purchases would not be increased. Assistant Director for Technical Services Carol Diedrichs said in the April 17 Columbus Dispatch that the library, which budgeted $8.5 million for new materials, might receive money this year from the university’s rainy-day fund. “But if this sort of thing continues,” she added, “we will eventually have to decide that we can’t afford certain things, and will have to cancel subscriptions.”
Posted April 23, 2001.
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