More Than a Bunch of Books
Most communities have a place they rely on as a combination resource center and gathering spot. They’re called public libraries, and Tipp City has been blessed with a very active one for over 100 years. The Tipp City Library, located at 11 E. Main Street, offers a variety of programs and services, and they aren’t limited to books. But some funding changes proposed by the Ohio House of Representatives may put this community institution on the endangered species list.
The Ohio Public Library Fund (PLF) has long received 1.7% of Ohio’s general revenue fund, which comes from sales and personal income taxes, among other revenue sources. According to the Ohio Library Council, an organization that advocates for public libraries, roughly 51% of the total library funding comes from the PLF. The Ohio House is currently considering replacing it with an annual lump sum payout, thus drastically reducing state funding for libraries.
The Tippecanoe Gazette recently spoke with Lisa Santucci, who has served as the Tipp City Library Director for the past seven years. “For over a hundred years, libraries in Ohio have been funded by the Public Library Fund, which is part of the State General Fund. Before they divvy out the money, there’s all these little chunks that get passed out. We’re stunned that the General Assembly wants to cut $100 million from the budget. Why would you want to cut libraries now?”
The Tipp City library maintains a full schedule of programs for all age groups. Adults can drop by to play Bridge and Mah Jong, engage in Yoga and stretching classes, and enjoy spirited discussion in various book clubs. Children can participate in Kids’ Yoga and LEGO Builders club, among many other creative activities. There’s also a Teen Advisory Group, Tabletop Gaming Group, and Hoop Shoot.
“We’re more than a bunch of books,” Santucci said. “We offer a wide variety of services for adults, teens, and children, even babies, like Baby Time and Story Time. We set aside evenings for parents to do things with their kids, and we have programs for children with dyslexia, to help them develop reading skills. We have a new program called Paws to Read, where children read to dogs, and learn to make good eye contact with them so they’ll feel comfortable. We stay open until 8:00 each night, and our three meeting rooms are always booked. One of the things that is so important is that we make home deliveries for people who can’t get out. They may be recovering from an illness and want books to read. Something new we’re starting at SpringMeade Retirement Community is story time for senior citizens with Alzheimer’s.”
The Tipp City Library has always been a valuable resource for the community, in many ways. This was especially true during the Covid crisis, and at other times of need.
“During Covid, we were a distribution center for our state,” Santucci said. “We probably gave out over 30,000 Covid testing kits. We boosted our services, and our attitude about everything was ‘How can we help?’ Even though we closed the library building, we distributed books out the back door. We still have a variety of things that people can check out--steam cleaner, pressure washer, roto tiller, air fryer, telescope, blood pressure cuffs, a ton of things. The library is about presenting resources to our community, a place that can respond quickly.”
Public libraries have long been considered a foundation of democracy, going back to the time of Benjamin Franklin and Andrew Carnegie. Carnegie made it possible to build a library in every state, and adopted the mantra “Knowledge is for everybody.”
“Ohio libraries are a pinnacle in the entire country, and we’re looked on as what other state libraries should be,” Santucci said. “I hear our state officials say ‘Nobody else does it this way,’ as if we should do it the way other states do it, even though Ohio is the gold standard and is in the top five as far as libraries go. What they might not realize is that this is not a city building, even though it’s a city service. It’s part of my annual budget to take care of the building upkeep and grounds. Everything we get goes to providing services.”
Santucci points out that some of this funding has already vanished, placing a hardship on the library and the services they can offer.
“We’ve already lost our federal funding with the loss of the Institution of Museum and Library Services, which was closed by the DOGE group,” she said. “All of the grants we received turned into dust, and we’ve had to drop some services. State grants were also withdrawn after we lost that funding from the institute. I went to the City Council and said ‘In two years, there’s a possibility I may come to you and say we can’t continue.’ We don’t generate revenue here. The only thing we collect money for is photocopying, which is probably a hundred dollars a month because nobody photocopies anymore.”
Santucci and the library supporters are making a plea to the public to contact their State Representatives and make the case for how important the library is to the community.
“Tipp City people have come to rely on the library,” she said. “We need them to make some phone calls and send emails to tell our reps how much we mean to the community, why it’s important, and what it’s done for them and their families. A lot of our patrons have filled out forms listing what they love about the library, and these will be sent to elected officials. Libraries are for everybody. People can come in, read the newspaper, use our wi-fi, have a cup of coffee, and meet up with friends. It’s amazing how many services we provide here. We’re just trying to hold our heads above water, and we’re asking our community to step up for us.”
The Tipp City Public Library is located at 11 E. Main St. You can reach them by phone at (937) 667-3826, or visit their website, tippcitylibrary.org. You can also follow them on Facebook.