Library programming will not be significantly impacted by the new schedule for the main branch, located in downtown Dayton, according to Dayton Metro spokeswoman Debi Chess.
Dayton Metro Library operates dozens of locations throughout Montgomery County. The downtown Dayton branch has been open on Sundays from 1-5 p.m. and is the only location to have Sunday hours.
Although the new closures officially begin in June, Dayton Metro’s main branch will also be closed on Sunday in observance of Memorial Day.
The main branch was open on Sundays primarily to help students and their families have time and space for research, Chess said.
In 2023, the main branch’s total annual door count was 425,101. A total of 22,417 of this came from Sundays, according to the library.
Chelsie Dudley, a patron of Montgomery County’s largest library system and a Kettering area resident, said she was sad to hear of the main branch’s new schedule. She fears the removal of Sunday hours could cause a decline in how many people can use the library’s services.
“There are many people who can only find arrangements to go to the library on Sundays due to travel, weekday work hours, schooling and childcare.,” she said. “The library offers great free resources and activities for individuals of all ages. Unfortunately, many families cannot afford internet or WiFi services (and) closing all locations on Sundays can affect those that require internet access for schoolwork.”
Dudley said she is also disappointed to see other services she has enjoyed at the library, including the Hoopla app that allows users to stream audiobooks, music and movies for free, are no longer available.
A Dayton Daily News reporter was outside the main branch on Tuesday afternoon asking people in the area about the Sunday closures. Four people who stopped to talk to the reporter were not aware the library was open on Sundays, but thought Sunday hours could help working people access the internet or students work on homework.
According to the Ohio Library Council, an organization that advocates for public libraries, roughly 51% of the total funding for Ohio’s public libraries comes from the state through the Public Library Fund.
In the state budget, the Public Library Fund gets 1.7% of the state’s general revenue fund. That general revenue fund receives more than two-thirds of its money from sales and income taxes.
The Montgomery County Budget Commission, which consists of the county’s auditor, treasurer and prosecutor, last year passed along $25 million in state funding to local libraries. This is down from $26.6 million the prior fiscal year.
Montgomery County’s drop in funding mirrored that of other counties in the state, budget commission officials commented.
Dayton Metro Library saw a more than $850,000 decrease in its allocation compared to the year before. The county’s largest library system makes up a little more than 80% of the county’s Public Library Fund.
“The library fund underperformed for this year,” Chess said. “We’re seeing less money come to Dayton Metro. I can’t speak for others in our area, but I know many libraries are also looking at their budgets and having to make these kinds of decisions.”
By the Numbers
$143,000: Projected annual savings from Sunday closures at the main branch
$25 million: The amount allocated to library systems in Montgomery County
22,417: The 2023 door count data for the main branch location on Sundays
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