Library Funding Update: How to Stay Informed

What You Need to Know

State Support for Public Libraries Is Essential

50% of Our Library’s Funding Comes from the State

Update on 6/6/2025:

Ohio’s budget bill, which is currently being considered by the Senate Finance Committee, is nearing its June 30 deadline. The Senate’s proposal is similar to the House-approved bill, with a few additional elements: 

• The Public Library Fund (PLF) remains a line-item instead of a percentage of the state's General Revenue Fund. There were no changes to the proposed county distribution of state PLF monies to libraries from the House bill.   
• The Senate budget amounts are the same as the House version: $490 million in Fiscal Year 2026, and $500 million in Fiscal Year 2027.         
  • However, the Senate is also proposing to allocate additional funds from the Public Library Fund line item to the State Library of Ohio, Regional Library Systems, Ohio Public Library Information Network, and the Library for the Blind. This amounts to over a $10 million deduction off the top each biennium before funds are distributed to public library systems.  
• Language approved by the House creating a provision to place material related to sexual orientation, gender identity, or expression out of the view of minors remains in the bill.   
• The bill also includes new language to allow county budget commissions to reduce the millage on any voter-approved tax levy (except debt levies) at their discretion. 

The Library continues to advocate for Ohio’s public libraries to be funded at the level originally proposed in Governor DeWine’s budget: $531 million in Fiscal Year 2026 and $549 million in FY 2027.    

Although we are not calling for your action at this time, if the budget is passed by the Ohio Senate, there will still be opportunities to advocate for stable, consistent funding before the budget is finalized by June 30.

The Library will continue to update you as the budget evolves. Thank you for your ongoing support of not only CHPL, but libraries across the state of Ohio.   

Update 4/18/25:

Thanks to your advocacy, the Ohio House removed a provision in the state budget bill that would have resulted in a drastic cut to your Library’s funding. Your voices were heard, but the budget process is far from over.

The Ohio House approved its version of the State Operating Budget on April 9. 

• The provision to change the way state funds are distributed to Ohio's public libraries was removed from the bill.
• Rather than funding public libraries as a percentage of the state's General Revenue Fund (GRF), as it has since 1983, the House's proposal allocates a set amount to public libraries through a line-item appropriation. Removing the Public Library Fund (PLF) from permanent law may result in less stable funding for Ohio's public libraries in the future.
• The amount appropriated, while a slight increase over the original House proposal, funds public libraries at roughly the same levels that they were funded 25 years ago.

The budget process now shifts to the Ohio Senate. Work will start once the Ohio Legislature is back in session the week of April 28. The budget may not be finalized until the end of June.

We will continue to work with Library systems across Ohio and our state legislators to advocate for stable, consistent state funding and a restoration of the PLF to 1.75% of the GRF, per Governor DeWine’s proposed budget. 

What You Can Do Now

We are pausing outreach to state legislators. We may call on you again for support as the budget bill progresses through the Senate. 

Please continue to share these messages with friends and family:  

State Support for Public Libraries Is Essential

50% of Our Library’s Funding Comes from the State

Stay informed! Please follow CHPL on social media for the latest updates:  

Thank you for your continuing support of the Cincinnati & Hamilton County Public Library and libraries across Ohio.