Since last year, the Girard Free Library has cut three of its employees, saw three others retire without being replaced and reduced hours.
Libraries all over Ohio saw funding cuts of 31 percent last year, but more than half rely almost entirely on the state for revenue.
In Trumbull County, there are six independent libraries, each with its own board and each with its own budget problems. This year, for the very first time, at least two of them -- Girard and Hubbard -- are expected to have local tax levies on the ballot.
In Niles, the board of the McKinley Library has suspended Sunday hours and is contemplating its own levy, having lost close to a quarter million dollars in state funding since the middle of last year. Ironically, directors all said the cuts have come at a time when demand for library resources has never been higher.
While the board of Girard's library is expected to vote on a levy request Monday night, Director Rose Ann Lubert had no hesitation when asked what would happen without local support.
"The shelves will be emptier. There will be less computers. There will be less staff, less hours," she said.
And the problems are expected to only get worse, ultimately forcing many libraries to merge or to close altogether.
