Ohio’s libraries won’t have to brace for the $227 million budget cuts Gov. Strickland proposed on June 22, after the state’s conference committee members reduced the proposed cuts to $84 million today, July 13.

Though cutting 11 percent of the budget is an improvement from 30 percent, large and small libraries state-wide will still have to take a huge hit by reducing hours and laying off employees, said Lynda Murray, Director of Governmental Relations at the Ohio Library Council.

She said that a lot of libraries will probably start placing levies on ballots, as 70 percent of the state’s libraries are funded entirely by state dollars.

“I don’t know what the impact will be on our small library systems,” she said. “I think that they will do everything they can to stay open, even if it’s just a day or two.”

The Toledo-Lucas County Public Library is funded half by tax payers, and half by the state, Director Clyde Scoles has said.

This entry was posted on Monday, July 13th, 2009 at 6:19 pm and is filed under Arts and Life, Community, State of Ohio.
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