OHIO BUDGET UPDATE AS OF JUNE 17, 2025 ​

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Selover Public Library would like to update our patrons on the Ohio State Budget. The following news is provided to keep our patrons informed of what is happening at the state government that affects public libraries in Ohio overall, and Selover Public Library in particular. The budget has now passed the Senate and is in conference committee with the House, Senate, and Governor.   

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The Ohio Senate recently introduced their version of the proposed state budget. The substitute bill introduced in the Senate Finance Committee parallels the House budget proposal by placing library funding into a budget line-item instead of using a percentage of state general revenue fund (GRF). Starting July 1, funding for public libraries, known as the Public Library Fund (PLF), will be $490 million for FY2026 and $500 million for FY2027. This is a reduction in funding from FY2025.  

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The Senate is also proposing to allocate funding for the State Library of Ohio, the Ohioana Library Association, the Regional Library Systems, the Ohio Public Library Information Network, and the Library for the Blind from PLF. This is a change from how they were funded in the past, and amounts to more than $10 million annually deducted from the PLF before distribution to counties. This will further cut public library funding each fiscal year. The line-item budget and the allocations of funding for these other services from the PLF will result in around $24 million dollars in reduced funding to Ohio’s public libraries in Fiscal Year 2026 compared to Fiscal Year 2025.  

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Selover Library does not have a property tax levy and relies entirely on PLF funding (with the occasional grant or donation helping us do amazing things!). The change in funding to Selover Public Library is not crippling, but it will be felt in our already tight budget, especially because our costs for everything from utilities to salaries to materials are going up here just as they are for everyone else. The state funding cuts will result in a small reduction in services, as yet to be determined. 

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There is also language in the budget regarding library materials. This budget, if passed, will require public libraries to place materials related to sexual orientation or gender identity or expression in an area of the library that is not primarily open to the view of minors. The only space in our library not primarily open to the view of minors is our already overstuffed adult fiction section. The reality of this for our tiny library is that we will have to withdraw and dispose of adult fiction materials to make space for these children’s books. Because the State is not providing additional funding for this mandate, we will have to pay our staff from an already reduced budget to go through the thousands of books in our children’s section to try to determine which might fit this description. As a result, patrons should expect a small reduction in services, as yet to be determined, if this language remains in the budget. Selover Library's policies state that we do not act in loco parentis, and we encourage parents and guardians to help their children choose reading materials that meet the needs of their families. 

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We are grateful for your continued use and support of Selover Public Library.