Ohio's Libraries
(Soon, there will be a long post for publishing nerds in which I argue that big advances are almost always bad for almost everyone.)
One of the things I like most about America is our libraries. I like that communities come together to make a commitment to making books and the Internet and periodicals available to everyone. Here is how libraries work:
I agree to give up some money that would otherwise belong to me. And in exchange, I get these amazing centers of learning. These places are obviously good for me in the sense that I can become more engaged and knowledgeable thanks to having free access to a wide variety of books about every conceivable subject. Libraries also good for me in the sense that the more engaged and knowledgeable the community around me is, the happier I am.
There is something profoundly important about our public commitment to making good books (and good Internet) available to everyone, rich or poor. And as you may have heard, the great state of Ohio is on the verge of cutting its library funding 50%. This will cripple every library system in the state, and result in the closure of many libraries.
This is a stupid, counterproductive idea. If Ohio wants the Ohioans of the future to earn enough money to revitalize the state, they need good libraries and those amazing secret superheroes known as librarians.
If you live in Ohio, please consider calling and emailing your elected representatives. (It works!)
posted by John Green @ Thursday, June 25, 2009
47 Comments
47 Comments:
THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU!
on behalf all Ohio librarians
As one of those Superhero Ohio Librarians, I can not thank you enough for posting this!
Come on Ohio Nerdfighters help us out!
I'm writing. I just wish I could do more. Thanks for publicizing this.
As a future Ohio librarian, THANK YOU for posting this!
Wow, that's terrible. I used to work at a library in Ohio before going to college. Thank you so much for informing me.
Thank you so much, John!!! I posted a link to your blogpost on Governor Strickland's Facebook Page...if he is even reading it.
It's also amusing, because there is a photo of him there on a READ poster...I for sure pointed out the irony!
Thanks, John, for getting the word out about this! I've already written my custom emails and am also trying to spread the word myself.
I just bought a home a month ago, and one of the main reasons I chose that home was because it's (quite literally) a stone's throw from a tiny branch of the Cincinnati Public library. After only 4 weeks of living here, the library has a sign on it, saying that it will be a branch to close, if the cuts are made.
WTF!? I MOVED here, spent more money than I've ever spent in my life to buy a home, and one of the main reasons I did it was to live close to a library. I didn't even buy internet because between the library, work, and my iPhone, I didn't need to spend the extra $60 a month on high speed internet for my home. My personal budget of DVD's, Internet and books is completely dependent on this library.
I know that libraries are a necessity for public, and I'd be supporting the cause no matter what... but this budget cut will hit me personally, which makes it even more terrifying. Thanks again for spreading the word, and please, Ohioians, do everything you can to help prevent this budget cut!
Pennsylvania libraries are in the same boat. Gov. Rendell is looking to cut about half of our funding.
A library is a place where you can learn anything you could ever possibly want to learn. It's the Mecca of all knowledge. Why would you even WANT to cut its funding?
Argh.
As a future librarian and, more importantly, a lifelong patron, this just really pisses me off.
I don't live in Ohio, but that is part of the problem with our political system. It does not encourage long-range goals. So education and community building are some of the first things to cut. To compound this, we have an ambivalent and self absorbed country (in general, though Nerdfighters are definitely the exception). I think if more people got involved and volunteered we could decrease the cuts needed and show our support.
Oh, and as a side question, are you a member of the ALA? And if so, are you going to the ALA conference in Chicago in July?
Thank you so much for posting this, John! I've been calling the legislature every day and pointing out tax breaks for oil companies and the like that could go INSTEAD of our libraries. I appreciate your support! :)
Thank you for getting the word out!
John, thank you so much for speaking out for Ohioans today. We need intelligent minds like yours fighting this cause with us.
Thank you sooooo much for putting this information out for the world to see! Our Ohio Libraries are wonderful institutions and I will be sad if they begin to disappear. As a librarian it saddens me to think my community will suffer if this proposal is carried out! As a library lover since infancy it saddens me even more to think I cannot have the wonderful resources for me and my family that I have loved for so many years! You have always been a great supporter. The library community cannot thank you enough for keeping us in your thoughts and getting the word out about our situation!
Thank you so much for putting this out there- we're trying so hard to get everyone to contact their representatives...your additional publicity via this blog post helps a ton. Thank you!
I work for two libraries in Oregon, and so I may be a bit biased in saying I think, Ohio, this is complete BS.
Sometimes I have to wonder if they have no idea what the hell they're doing. Because if they did, it would make absolutely no sense for them to be doing this.
(On a semi-related note, I always get excited whenever I see one of your books at work, John. haha. We just got these new things called Playaway, it's like a portable audio book on its own player. No CDs or cassettes. Anyway, there's one for Paper Towns! I probably shouldn't be as excited about that as I am.)
THANK YOU for blogging about this! My librarian told me about this a few days ago. Cutting back is bad, but 50% is REALLY bad.
Ohio has an excellent library system. Some counties get some funding from their counties, but a lot of them really depend on the government's funding. And especially in times like these where people can't go out and rent movies or buy books or afford fast internet, libraries are essential to the community.
The cuts are actually the strangest thing to do at this time when you consider that more people will be using the library. Sorry, but who wants to buy hard covers for almost $30 when you can buy a library card (For me, I believe it's $10 for an adult, $5 for teens, and free for kids) and have a virtually unlimited supply of books? I've definitely heard statistics for my community that the library user numbers are going up, and it only makes sense. Cutting this service right now seems like someone that everyone would be AGAINST.
Thank you so much. We really appreciate your support!
I teach at an inner-city high school in Cincinnati and spend my summers working with homeless junior high students. The public libraries are literally the only source of books, newspapers, internet, and other resources for most of my students outside of school. Thanks, John, for getting the word out on this!
Thanks John from a Kenyon alum and Ohio Children's Librarian.
It would be interesting to look at Ohio's budget and see what frivolous programs could be cut in order to save such a vital hub in the community. That, of course, will never happen; but it's fun to think about.
Sounds like someone's prepping the citizens for a tax raise.
Thank you so much John!! Even though i'm not old enough to vote, or even drive, i can still give an opinion! I love going to the library and checking out mass books and just hanging out there with my friends!
It would be terrible if they shut down our libraries.
Thank you again for getting this out there!
Thank you for posting this, John. As a lifelong patron of Dayton's libraries and an employee of the same for seven years now, the proposed cuts both anger and baffle me. Governor Strickland claims that he is placing emphasis on education, so I don't know how he can possibly justify this. Library use is up 25% in some areas, and Ohio libraries' budgets are already stretched tight because of a 20% reduction in state funding over the past decade. Ohio's current unemployment rate is 10.4%. What does the governor have to say to the hundreds (probably thousands) of library employess who would lose their jobs as a result of these cuts? Where will they go to search for new jobs and fill out applications, which are increasingly being made internet-exclusive? Not the library.
Thanks for posting this, John! Let's go, Ohio!! LIBRARIES FOR THE WIN!!
Thank you for posting this! The libraries are so extremely important to our community; they've given many people access to tools they'd otherwise not be able to utilize.
Again, THANK YOU for getting the word out!
I agree with a previous poster. Slashing library budgets is so stupid right now given the fact that library usage is up significantly.
I can't tell you how long it's been since I've rented a movie and PAID for it. Why bother when libraries are FULL of new and old movies alike? Instead of waiting for your movies to come on Netflix, many people are putting holds on New Releases at the library and saving their money for more important things.
Little known fact that librarians rule the world.
Our local libraries here in Springfield, Ohio are already closed on Fridays because of a recent 20% cut. The 50% is ON TOP OF the cuts made a few weeks ago.
But then, Ohio isn't much for education. The schools are okay, but the method of funding has been in the courts for many years, our state colleges are a lot more expensive than most states, and there's virtually no financial help from the state for college students.
Oh, and Strickland ran on an Education platform....
Let's bust education, and put some more people out of work while we're at it!!
THANK YOU for posting this.
Thank you. Unfortunately, I don't think enough people have contacted Ted Strickland or the voting council because his opinion is stubbornly the same. People, please continue to call, write, email, and do everything you can. Time is running out, let's keep the momentum!
At the library that I currently work at we help patrons put together resumes and find jobs. The people that we help would not have the resources or the knowledge to do these things on their own. Getting rid of libraries will only harm us all.
Thank you for that information, John.
I just published a blog on my nerdfighter page about the library I work at.
Librarians everywhere are appreciative of your efforts! Thank you!
I am a teacher in Ohio and live in Kentucky. I probably have a different view on this issue than most. First of all I love libraries. I am lucky enough to have 5 library systems within driving distance. I use all of them at different times. Libraries are important to society. Hamilton County (Cincinnati) is a fantastic library system. I love to go to the down town library, with its 2 buildings and 7 floors of books, to just look around.
Ohio, like many states, is in a bit of a financial crisis. I have been working to secure adequate funding for my area of education for a few months. I understand the importance of funding and contacting your state representatives and senators to advocate for your views. I think everyone should. I hope funding for libraries is included in the budget.
However, the reality is that if libraries are funded something else will not be. When you look at library funding most, or all of it, it through the state. I see this as a problem. Libraries mostly serve the local community. Because of this most of the tax dollars that support the library should come from the local community.
The Hamilton County (Cincinnati) library system gets 100% of their funding from the state. If the local community values the library (which they do, a couple years ago it was the most used library system, per capita, in the United States) they should be willing to pay a local tax. I do this. I live in Kentucky and I pay a local tax for my library system. I have no problem paying this tax. In fact, I much prefer sending it directly to the library system. It is much more efficient to send it directly to my county library rather than sending the tax dollars through the state where lawmakers can get their hands on it.
I really hope that libraries are not cut, but at the same time libraries need to become less dependent on state tax dollars and realign their tax support to locality they exist in. It may be a difficult transition but in the long run the library system will benefit greatly.
ning name: gtteach
For the first time in my life, I wish I lived in Ohio, just so I could write its representatives and camp out on the State House steps. Hmmph. I will think of some way to demonstrate my outrage! If I end up in jail, will you bail me out? :)
It seems that libraries everywhere are suffering, not only in Ohio. I live in Michigan the state which apparently has the worst unemployment rate in the U.S. Somehow our Governor believes we need to educate the children so they can get the wonderful technical jobs that are sure to come here. She's doing this by cutting the budget for public schools and state colleges. Great idea, right? I will be the first to admit I do not know how the finances of goverment completely work, or the amount of red tape one needs to tear through to get the job done. So I did what I knew and could do, I donated two boxes of hardcover books I had read and didn't need anymore to the local high school. The librarians were happy : )
Another Ohio public librarian chiming in to say thank you John for showing your support on this. We are all pretty saddened and upset by it, and hoping for better news soon.
My school library sucks. There are pretty much NO books, they don't even have your books. The school won't improve it at all, and instead of spending money to, they invested in a bunch of flat screen tvs to place around the school that ONLY PROJECT A SLIDE SHOW of that days announcements. No one looks at them. Total waste of money in my opinion. If they didn't waste money on stupid stuff like that, then people might actually go to the library and STUDY to get GOOD GRADES.
Thanks for posting this, John!
The PA govt is doing something similiar. They're trying to cut the budget by 50% AND take away the inter-library system. It's ridiculous and absurd.
thank you john for speaking up- I know yours is an influential voice to many. it is devastating to watch and wait while these changes take place- working at the library in this time is such a challenge. I wish the nerdfighters a massive victory, but I fear the grasp of Strickland.
Ohio libraries are some of the best in the country ... they certainly are up there in innovation. I don't think it's wrong to say that many people look to Ohio Libraries to see what's next on the horizon. It would be a sad day to see any library go away, if the Ohio gov't doesn't understand what a terrible thing this is, then they aren't paying attention.
Sharon, an Illinois Librarian
@matt/gtteach: The thing is, libraries in Ohio are funded mainly by the state because it was decided in the 1980s that that would be a great way to ensure consistent quality and proliferation of services no matter where you went in the state. If libraries rely mainly on local funding, their quality is determined by the local economy. In some areas, if the libraries did not have state funding, they would be far below the quality of a library in an area with a much better local economy. It's in part due to that decision in the '80s that Ohio has some of the best libraries in the nation, and it means that a resident of Ohio can walk into any public library in the state, get a library card, and expect the same level of awesomeness.
Now, if libraries in Ohio are to go back to relying mainly on local funding, they should at the very least be allowed some time to make the transition. Their budgets are already stretched tight because of a 20% reduction in funding. These proposed additional cuts have come as a complete surprise, and essentially halve their funding. It would be as if you were expecting a 20% reduction in your salary, and you started being frugal, eating beans and rice, saving more and spending less, and then you suddenly find out that you're receiving a 50% reduction in salary. Some people could afford that. Most could not. Libraries cannot, not without making drastic cuts. Usage is also at record levels lately. That's something you would expect during a recession. Libraries offer most of their services at absolutely no charge. I do work in a library, and I see many people using the library daily to try to get back on their feet and back into the workforce.
These cuts are also disproportionately large when compared with cuts being made to other services. I agree that everybody should be asked to share the burden. That is not what is proposed, however. Strickland, ur doin it rong.
My apologies for the long-winded post and the lolspeak.
I'm an Ohio children's book author thanking you for this post.
And I don't think Hope Anita Smith would mind if I relayed a conversation we just had this week. She's visiting Columbus OH as the Thurber House Author in Residence. She said she is awed with our Ohio libraries so much she's fallen in love with the town.
Thank you for helping the worthy cause.
Julia DeVillers
Who writes her books in Ohio libraries
Closing libraries sucks. It really does. But simple protesting is not going to be enough. We can write letters and protest as much as we want, but the simple fact is that we have to use our libraries. I go to school in Columbus, and we were having issues with many of the smaller libraries on campus being closed or having reduced hours. When the same thing happened to the Music and Dance library, almost everyone in the School of Music began checking things out everyday and spending time studying in the library. It, at least temporarily, caused the school to reconsider downsizing and cutting back hours.
Like I said, protesting is all well and good, but the higher ups need to see that things are being used to justify putting lots of budget money into it.
Jackie, the thing is, library usage is up, twenty-five percent and higher across Ohio. Those numbers are based mainly on last year's statistics. Right now, year-to-date, the numbers are even higher. The use is there, we just need to make sure the legislators realize that.
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