Thank you Columbus Dispatch for your endorsement of Issue 4: Columbus Metro Library!

From the article:

Franklin County has a jewel in the Columbus Metropolitan Library, ranked yearly among the nation’s top 10 by industry groups and named Library of the Year for 2010 by Library Journal. Now, the community has a choice to make: maintain this invaluable resource or watch it decline.

The Dispatch urges voters in the library district to support Issue 4, a 2.8-mill property-tax levy on the Nov. 2 ballot.

A vote for the levy would replace a 2.2-mill, 10-year levy that is expiring. The net tax increase for the owner of a $100,000 home would be $63 per year, or $5.24 per month.

The library, which serves all parts of Franklin County not served by other library systems, achieved excellence through strong management, the support of local taxpayers and robust state funding: Ohio has been one of few states with a dedicated source of state funding for libraries.

Read Full Article Here.

From the article:
A local union made a major donation towards the campaign to pass a levy for Mahoning county’s library system.

The SEIU, which represents library employees, donated $10,000 to the levy campaign on Wednesday.

Library director Carlton Sears said the 1.8 mill levy would help the library system offset losses in state funding.

“We’re trying to get the libraries back open again, is the bottom line. We had to close everything one day a week last year. This is about getting them back open again,” Sears said.

Read full article here.

From the article:
Supporters of the McKinley Memorial Library hope voters will understand its need for more money and support a 1.5-mill levy on Election Day.

The levy is expected to raise $391,000 a year for the next five years. It would be used to resume the majority of services the library has been reducing over the last two years. The Trumbull County Auditor’s Office said the tax would cost the owner of a $100,000 home an additional $45.94 in property taxes.

“A couple years ago we had a budget of about $1.1 million,” library Director Patrick Finan said. “Next year, we are projecting a $700,000 budget.”

The library receives the majority of its funding from the state, which – due to its own budget woes – has been reducing funding to public libraries statewide.

Finan estimates the state will have an $8 billion budget shortfall next year, and he expects state funding to libraries to continue to erode.

“We’ve lost about 30 percent of our library funding in the last several years,” he said.

Read full article here

Columbus Metropolitan Library’s Levy Campaign Kick off is today, September 10th · 5:00pm – 8:00pm at the Shamrock Club of Columbus on
60 West Castle Road. Includes live music, outdoor activities, food, cash bar and a silent auction. There is a $5 campaign contribution per adult.

From the article:
In the past several years, Southwest Public Libraries have cut their staff by half, reduced operating hours and put a hold on all new materials. Library employees have gone without a raise for 10 years, and have taken a 10 percent pay cut in the form of furloughs.

Grove City voters have typically passed the levies, with voters in outlying areas casting the defeating “no” votes.

Library supporters are working hard to change the trend.

A fundraiser and family fun night are planned for Sept. 16 at Pinnacle Golf Club, 1500 Pinnacle Club Drive. The goal of the event is to raise enough awareness and money to spread the “pro-levy” word throughout the district.

Read full article here.

From the article:
A year after budget constraints forced the Pickerington Public Library to cut hours and days of service, the library will fully restore its schedule this month by opening its doors again on Sundays.

After local voters in November 2009 passed a 10-year, 0.75-mill operating levy, library officials said the facility would rebound in 2010.

The operating levy, the first in the library’s 100-year history, came after weekly library hours last year were cut from 68 to 47. Wednesday hours had been reduced and the library closed its doors on Sundays.

The levy’s passage allowed library officials to reinstate Wednesday hours last January.

On Sept. 12, the library will complete its pledge to bounce back when it restores Sunday hours.

Read full article here.