Customers share what the library means to them
COLUMBUS—Columbus Metropolitan Library (CML) later today will deliver nearly 5,000 postcards containing customer feedback to Ohio Senate President Rob McColley. CML made the postcards available to customers throughout the past few weeks for customers to write or draw what the library means to them.
This campaign comes as the Ohio Senate is considering the state budget proposal, recently passed by the Ohio House, that would end the longtime funding mechanism for Ohio’s public libraries and replace it with a line item.
“By shifting [public libraries’] funding source to a line-item appropriation as proposed in the House budget, uncertainty and stagnation are brought to communities that rely on their public library,” said CML CEO Lauren Hagan in prepared remarks to the Ohio Senate Education Committee on May 12. “Basic state funding for public libraries recognizes our unparalleled impact on all members of our community and ensures we can continue to meet the needs of Ohioans without interruption or compromise.”
Quotes pulled from these postcards include:
- “The library is the only place where I can use a computer to search for jobs. It gave me the tools to get back on my feet.”
- “I’ve saved over $20,000 since getting my library card in 2019.”
- “The library is a place of peace, imagination, and community. Please protect it.”
- “I’m homeless and live in a tent by the river… I always frequent the library. It’s one of the only free places I gravitate to. I’ve found an oasis.”
- “I’m a senior citizen. I don’t drive anymore, but I can walk to the branch. This place keeps me sharp, connected, and gives me something to look forward to.”
- “As a mom of three, the library is our lifeline. It’s where my kids learn, laugh, and grow.”
