If you’re a bookish person, chances are you’ve seen articles about libraries in the media. The big news is that the Trump administration froze all funding to the Institute of Museum and Library Services. If you’re in Ohio, you’re also seeing the posts about state funding; the Republican legislature is proposing to cut that in the 2026-2027 biennium budget.
I cannot stress enough how much misinformation is flying around these days, and elected officials are only contributing to the problem. But if you use your libraries and want them to succeed, you need accurate information. Sure, you can purchase my book, available for 99 cents as an ebook for a limited time. However, you may just want the basics, which is what this post is for. (This is going to be a long one, though. Buckle up.)
Do people actually still use libraries?
100% yes! Every state collects data on usage, budgets, funding, program and circulation statistics, and much more. The IMLS (more on that in a sec) aggregates and reports these. My library collects a ton more data over and above what the state report requires, too. In March 2025 alone, my suburban library saw over 16,000 visitors. We circulate more than a million items each year.
What happened with the IMLS?
The Institute of Museum and Library Services was dismantled by an executive order on March 14, 2025. This government agency was founded in 1996 and was set to be funded by Congress until at least September 2025. However, the order stated that the agency should be eliminated to the fullest extent of the law. All employees are on administrative leave, and Deputy Secretary of Labor Keith Sonderling is now the acting director.
IMLS provides competitive grants to museums and libraries. These grants have already been canceled, and many libraries have already lost money by funding them ahead of being reimbursed. This is the way grants generally work in this space. There are also grant-matching programs, where the institution provides funding equal to what IMLS would provide.
The grants are not used for operating funds. Rather, they fund special programs and projects that add value to communities. This doesn’t mean they are dispensable, however. Statewide programs such as Guiding Ohio Online, which places technology trainers in rural libraries, will have to end.
If these aren’t operating budgets, what is?
Most libraries in the country are part of local government, cities being the most common. Others are funded by property tax levies. Ohio libraries work differently (see below).
What happened in Ohio?
Libraries in Ohio are funded by the state’s Public Library Fund (PLF). The PLF has always been distributed as a percentage of the state’s general revenue fund. While the governor is proposing to continue funds as per usual, the Ohio House wants to change the PLF from a portion of the general revenue fund to a line item, limiting how much revenue libraries take in year over year. A line item could easily be slashed in future years. This funding would also be split per capita instead of divided equally among the 88 counties.
Some libraries in Ohio already have property tax levies in addition to their PLF funding. However, our rural libraries would be dead in the water. With no tax levies and state funding severely cut, many of them would have to close altogether.
Yes, Ohio has the best-funded libraries in the world. But none of us can get blood from a stone. Salaries are staggeringly low. There is so much demand for e-media that we can’t meet. We work much harder than ever before. There’s no such thing as a quiet library anymore.
And it’s not just about the money. This proposed budget would make funding contingent on libraries censoring part of their collection, most notably LGBTQ+ content. This one point is an assault on civil rights.
While I wrote The Author’s Guide to Libraries long before all these changes–and believe me, I’ll have to write a second edition–if you want to know more about how libraries operate in general, the ebook is 99 cents on all platforms for a limited time. I am NOT in this for the 35 cent royalty—I just want to help a little by providing this information. All writers should know this stuff, especially if we want to partner with libraries in the future.
Additional Reading / Sources
American Library Association’s Statement on IMLS
Ohio Public Library Statistics (State Library of Ohio)
My book on Amazon, Books2Read, & my website
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