Dear Perry County District Library Patron:

I want to start by thanking you for your support through the state budget process. The positive impact stories you shared with our legislators sent an important message about the critical role public libraries play in our communities and in the lives of those we serve. Although we were unable to sway the decision legislators made to reduce funding for public libraries (The budget includes a $25 million reduction in funding to the Public Library Fund (PLF), dropping total state support from $504.6 million in FY25 to $479.7 million in FY26), I write to you today with great concern regarding proposed language buried in House Bill 96 (State Budget Bill) that could have an even greater negative effect on public libraries and you as a library user. This provision in the budget bill, would require public libraries to segregate library materials related to gender identity and sexual orientation, guaranteeing they are not visible to anyone under the age of 18. 

As the Director of Perry County District Library, I can assure you that our library system along with the other public libraries of Ohio are dedicated to providing well-rounded collections based on the communities we serve, while driving the collection development process with solid policies in place to inform our staff as decisions are made. These same policies also allow for public input and consideration. 

The staff of public libraries are supportive of all who enter our doors, serving without bias or judgement. We do not act “in loco parentis,” as we know parents should make decisions with their children. It is not for library staff or any other public servant to take it upon themselves to tell a parent what their child should or should not read. No two people would ever parent in the exact same way, so taking away the right of intellectual freedom from families by segregating or removing certain library materials is simply wrong. This unfunded mandate should not be part of any legislation in the state of Ohio, let alone the budget bill.

In addition, the vague language of this proposal leads me to believe that our library system would be burdened by both the amount of time it would take staff to comply with the requirement and the amount of money it would cost to do so. Many of our buildings are simply too small to designate the space for this required separation of materials; therefore, we would be forced to make the difficult decision of how to best serve our youth while also providing the much-needed resources a public library must have.  Creating adult-only libraries in Perry County, or anywhere in Ohio, should never have to be a consideration. We must be open to all children, continue to develop young minds through literacy enrichment, and leave decisions about what children are borrowing from their libraries to their parents. Due to the change in funding brought about by the Ohio House and Senate, public libraries are already facing a financial cut. As you know, public libraries are not just for borrowing books. We are community hubs, serving in so many ways to meet the needs of the people we serve. People like you. 

As a supporter of Ohio’s public libraries and a patron of Perry County District Library, I urge you to contact Governor DeWine and respectfully ask him to veto this language from HB96. He can be reached via the Governor’s Hotline at (614) 644-4357 or by sending a message through  Contact Governer .

Thank you for your support as we work to keep Ohio’s public libraries the best in the nation. If you have questions, please contact me at 740-342-4194 or mmarolt@pcdl.org.

Sincerely,

Melissa Marolt

Director