Poll: Ohio voters support local library services, funding

OHIO — A recent poll released by the Ohio Library Council shows that a majority of Ohio voters support local library services and the funding to keep them going. 

Through Public Opinion Strategies, the poll included interviews with 800 registered Ohio voters in addition to an oversample to reach a total of 496 township residents. The margin of error on the 800 sample of voters is +/- 3.95%, and for the township sample is +/- 5.02%.

The OLC noted that across Ohio, public libraries rely on locally approved property tax levies. Those tax levies account for more than half of their overall funding across the state. 

Recently, a constitutional amendment was proposed to eliminate property taxes statewide, which could begin as early as 2027 if passed. The amendment was proposed by “Citizens for Property Tax Reform,” and the group is currently gathering signatures for the November ballot.

OLC said since no other funding source has been identified, it’s likely public libraries would lose out on a large amount of funding. Other consequences could include reductions in hours and potential branch closures, weakened community partnerships and the loss of local control. 

The poll, conducted in January, found the following:

• 92% say public libraries are important to their local community 
• 87% say they get their money’s worth from library services for the taxes they pay
• 87% believe they get their money’s worth in services from their local libraries for the taxes they pay, including 83% of Republicans, 85% of Independents and 93% of Democrats
• 71% believe libraries provide many of the most basic services people rely on in their daily lives
• 69% can recall a specific time their library helped them personally
• 64% say they or a family member used a library service within the past few months
• Residents consistently ranked libraries among the highest-rated local public services

OLC said an independent analysis also showed that $1 invested in Ohio’s public libraries returns more than $4 in value to residents and more than $3 billion in direct economic impact statewide.

“They are locally supported, widely used and deeply trusted,” OLC wrote in a statement. “Protecting them means protecting the local services residents rely on.”

To read more about the poll, click here.