ASHTABULA – Penny Neubauer, Library Director of Ashtabula County District Library (ACDL), was encouraged by a new statewide survey on voter attitudes toward public libraries that was recently released.
According to a news release from the Ohio Library Council, the January 2026 survey of Ohio voters finds that libraries, as well as townships, rank among the most trusted and highest-valued public services in the state.
The survey showed “overwhelming bipartisan support” for Ohio’s public libraries and township governments. The news release states that voters said these services are “essential to everyday life.”
“It’s nice to see hard data that confirms what we experience every day in our service to our communities,” Neubauer said. “R. David Lankes once said, ‘Bad libraries build collections, good libraries build services, great libraries build communities.’ Building great communities is at the heart of everything we do here at ACDL.”
Neubauer was especially pleased by what Neil Newhouse, a nationally respected pollster with Washington-based Public Opinion Strategies who conducted the research, had to say in regard to the survey.
“Ohioans view their libraries and township services as everyday necessities, not optional amenities,” Newhouse stated in the news release. “What the data show is that appreciation for the services comes first. When voters understand how those services are funded locally, support for maintaining that funding follows.”
“Like so much in our everyday lives, we often take for granted the things we use and rely on most,” Neubauer commented. “It’s encouraging to know that Ohioans understand the value of their local public library to their communities and that support for continued local funding is strong.”
Michael Thornton, Ashtabula Branch Manager at the Ashtabula Public Library, said the results of the survey speaks to what the staff has known intuitively working at the library.
“People in the community greatly value the work we do, especially in Ohio libraries,” he said. “We’ve traditionally been very well funded, and it shows in the client service that we provide.”
The experience of Lori Albrecht of Ashtabula, a patron at the Ashtabula Public Library, echoed the results of the survey.
“They’re very useful,” she said of libraries in Ohio.
She liked the Ashtabula Public Library’s genealogy department and the computers that the public can use.
“I’ve utilized some of the programs,” she said.
According to the news release, the survey showed that 92 percent of Ohioans said public libraries are important to their local community and rank among the highest rated local services; 69 percent recalled a specific time their library helped them personally; and 87 percent said they get their money’s worth from library services for the taxes they pay.
In addition, the survey revealed that 71 percent believed libraries provide many of the most basic services people rely on every day, and nearly half of Ohio voters said they or a family member used a library service in the past month, with nearly two-thirds having done so within the past few months
“Ohioans don’t just appreciate their libraries, they rely on them on a daily basis,” Michelle Francis, Executive Director of the Ohio Library Council, stated in the news release. “They are locally supported, widely used, and deeply embedded in their communities. This research shows that people see real, personal value in the services libraries provide. They understand that library funding isn’t abstract.”
According to the news release, Ohio’s 251 public library systems are “free, welcoming hubs that support daily life at every stage,” with visits to Ohio libraries in the millions.
“With some of the highest library usage rates in the nation, Ohio libraries log more than 48 million visits each year, and 7.4 million Ohioans hold library cards, underscoring their central role in communities across the state,” the news release stated.
In addition, the OLC noted the economics of libraries in the state.
“Independent economic analysis shows that every $1 invested in Ohio’s libraries returns more than $4 in value, generating over $3 billion in statewide economic impact,” the news release stated.
The OLC also addressed the funding of libraries in the state.
The news release stated that across Ohio, public libraries rely on locally approved property-tax levies, which now account for more than half of their overall funding statewide.
“While most residents don’t initially understand how townships and libraries are funded, the research finds that once Ohioans learn these services rely primarily on locally approved property taxes, strong majorities support keeping that local funding in place,” it states.
But a big question marks hovers over the future of property taxes.
According to a Jan. 23 article in the Gazette, there is an initiative led by the Committee to Abolish Ohio Property Taxes seeking a statewide vote this November to eliminate property taxes statewide through a proposed Constitutional amendment. Those behind the effort have until early July to get about 418,000 certified signatures from registered voters in at least half of Ohio’s 88 counties to reach the November ballot, the article states.
Meanwhile, libraries face shrinking funding in the near term.
According to the Ohio Library Council’s “History of State Funding for Ohio’s Public Libraries” provided by Neubauer, libraries will be getting less money in Fiscal Year ’26.
The OLC states that the General Assembly set the line-item appropriation for the Public Library Fund (PLF) at $490 million in FY26 and $500 million in FY27 while adding language to fund other state agencies and entities from the PLF, further reducing funding to public libraries by an additional $10.3 million.
“Consequently, libraries will receive approximately $25 million less in FY26 than in FY25,” the information notes.
“Libraries support children and families through early literacy programs, tutoring, and after-school spaces,” OLC states in its news release. “They strengthen the workforce by helping residents search for jobs, build skills, and access career training. They bridge the digital divide with free Wi-Fi, computers, and technology assistance. And they deliver everyday services such as printing, notary work, and access to government resources.”
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