Library Director: 'Too Early to Tell' What State Budget Has In Store

Gov. John Kasich’s state budget proposal still hasn’t answered any questions about what’s in store for the .

Kasich's two-year budget proposal, released earlier this week, would continue cutting state public library funding by 5 percent in 2012 and 2013. Statewide, that could mean a loss of more than $160 million over the two years.

That 5 percent reduction isn’t definite, so it’s unclear how the North Canton Public Library will be affected, said Library Director Sandi Lang.

“Essentially, it’s too early to tell,” Lang said. “What the governor has proposed in the blue book is a 5 percent reduction, but it’s not clear yet what that will involve because the language isn’t there.”

Lang said she watched a webcast today through the Ohio Library Council to gain more insight into the state budget and how it will affect libraries throughout Ohio.

The Ohio Library Council included this in its online summary:

Over the last decade, state funding of public libraries has dropped by 30 percent — and almost 24 percent in just the past two years alone. Libraries have reduced hours, staff, materials, technology and a variety of other services to meet these budget cuts. The proposed decrease to the (public library fund) comes at a time when Ohio's public library systems are seeing unprecedented demands for services. More Ohioans than ever are turning to their public libraries for assistance with finding jobs, homework help, early literacy training, Internet access, computer training and much more.

The North Canton Public Library also is trying to bounce back from recent cutbacks in service. At the beginning of the year, the library added an extra eight hours of operation each week and planned to spend $75,000 more on materials.

Before its 1-mill levy passed in November, the library already had cut 31 percent of its staff, 33 percent of its spending for materials and 25 percent of its hours of service because of funding shortfalls.

While the library receives about half its funding from the state, 34 percent comes from a local tax levy and the rest from other sources. The library's total projected expenses for 2011 total about $2 million.