YOUNGSTOWN — Aimee Fifarek, director of the Public Library of Youngstown and Mahoning County, testified before the Ohio Senate Education Committee in Columbus last week in defense of library funding and continued investment in the Mahoning Valley.

As part of a delegation consisting of several Ohio library leaders, as well as representatives from the Ohio Library Council, Fifarek spoke against dramatic changes to how libraries are funded in Ohio that are under consideration in the state Senate. Earlier in April, the Ohio House passed its budget, which ends dedicated funding for the Public Library Fund (PLF), which funds nearly half of PLYMC’s annual budget.

“The PLF IS the breath that gives life to Ohio’s public libraries and makes us exceptional. Drastically changing the funding model for our public libraries threatens that exceptionalism. By continuing to protect the Public Library Fund as it stands in current law and providing a modest increase from 1.7% to 1.75% of the General Revenue Fund, you will safeguard our ability to evolve with our community and ensure that libraries will have the resources necessary to meet the needs of our families,” Fifarek testified.

Right now, the PLF is funded by 1.7% of the General Revenue Fund. Earlier this year, Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine proposed a slight increase to 1.75% of the fund. However, the House chose to end this approach to funding libraries in Ohio entirely and replace it with a line-item appropriation.

This means that state legislators could vote to end all library funding in the future, resulting in dramatic cuts to library services across the state, library leaders said. As it stands in current law, funding is guaranteed and libraries can continue to provide the excellent service that Ohioans have come to expect from their libraries, Fifarek said.

It is now in the hands of the Senate to decide what to do next. The final state budget for 2026-27 must be adopted by June 30.

“This state has historically invested in our libraries because we know that investing in libraries is investing in the community and our future,” Fifarek said in her testimony before the OLC. “I urge this committee to uphold the long tradition of public support for libraries in Ohio, so that our patrons, your constituents, can continue to pursue a lifetime of literacy.”