By DAVID DUPONT
BG Independent News
The Wood County Library is joining libraries around the state to rally their supporters to let legislators know how important libraries are to them and to the state.
Library Director Michael Penrod told the library board about the Ohio Library Council’s Protect Public Library Funding advocacy campaign. Penrod said the idea is to let legislators know how important libraries are as the state budget starts to take shape this fall.
The governor doesn’t propose the biennium budget until early in the year, but much of the work goes on behind the scenes in fall, said Penrod.
The information presented by Penrod shows the general decline in funding from 2008 when it was set at 2.22 percent of the state’s general fund budget until it was 1.66 percent in 2015. The legislature did raise it to 1.7 percent in 2016, but unless action is taken that will drop back to 1.66 percent.
Libraries aren’t advocating for a specific amount of funding, he said. Just no cuts.
“It’s very much a positive campaign, people to contact our representative and senator and tell them why you love the library,” Penrod said.
The library council provided statiics on the economic impact of public libraries. For every $1 spent on public libraries it generates $5.48 in economic value. Libraries, according to the handout, provide $2.7 billion in direct economic benefit to residents. With more than 8.7 million Ohioans with library card holders, Ohio has the highest per capita use of public libraries in the nation.
Libraries have only two funding streams, state money and a local levy.
Penrod also reported on local efforts to help the ibrary. The Library Foundation raised more than $94,000 at its annual fundraiser at Schedel Gardens. Also, the Friends of the Library’s book sale earlier this month raised $4,600, the most ever.
Penrod reported that since the library started using a collection agency about eight years ago to go after those who have not returned materials borrowed from the library, it has retrieved materials worth $121,000 and collected $119,000 in reimbursement for materials not returned.
This is not a source of revenue, Penrod noted, because it simply replaces materials the library already possessed.
Meeting in Walbridge, the board also received an update on the expansion project there. “Everything seems to be going well,” he said.
He said he expects the library will have to close for about a month once work extends from the addition next door into the library, and renovation work begins there.
The expansion will be finished by late January or February, he said.
The board also swore in its newest member, Nathan Eikost, of Walbridge.
