INFOhio Community

The State Library of Ohio Board awarded a combined total of $2,080,778 in federal Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) Grants for the statewide Libraries Connect Ohio core set of databases, seventeen public libraries to hire Guiding Ohio Online technology trainers, and Ohio Library for the Blind and Print Disabled to supplement state funding. All awards are contingent upon the release of State Fiscal Year 2025 federal appropriations.

The Ohio State University was awarded $1,534,922 for Libraries Connect Ohio (LCO) to purchase one year of statewide online access for the Ohio Web Library core set of subscription-based library databases. The Ohio Web Library core set of databases are available to all Ohio residents through their local public, school, or academic library.  

LCO negotiates five-year contracts with the database vendors but requests annual renewal of the LSTA funding. This grant is for the second year of the contract which begins July 1, 2024. The five-year contract ensures optimal pricing from vendors. The annual renewal of LSTA funding demonstrates the partners’ commitment to consistently evaluate purchased resources. In addition to the $1,534,922 in federal LSTA funding for Libraries Connect Ohio, Ohio Library and Information Network (OhioLINK) will contribute $1,000,000; Ohio Public Library Information Network (OPLIN) will fund $1,000,000; and INFOhio (Ohio’s PreK-12 Digital Library) will provide $500,000 to purchase the databases. 

These databases are available to all Ohioans through the Ohio Web Library or their library’s website and include the following:  

• The EBSCO core collection contains thousands of full-text magazine and journal titles organized into a variety of sub-collections.
• The World Book package includes the most popular World Book products.
• Oxford Research Encyclopedias (from Oxford University Press) includes more than 3,000 long-form articles from 25 subject-based, authoritative resources of reference in a wide array of academic fields, including the humanities, social sciences, and sciences.
• Very Short Introductions (from Oxford University Press) provides quick, authoritative, and accessible overviews of a subject.

$311,856 in Guiding Ohio Online LSTA funding was awarded to seventeen public libraries serving rural populations in Ohio to hire a dedicated technology trainer. The technology trainer is hired as an independent contractor in a full- or part-time capacity, depending on the needs of the library. The grant period is July 1, 2024 – June 30, 2025. Trainers can assist with computer instruction, technology-focused community outreach, one-on-one instruction, and other technology related duties. LSTA funding covers 75% of the project cost for each library receiving the grant; the remaining 25% must come from a local cash match. The following libraries will receive LSTA funds on a quarterly schedule for the Guiding Ohio Online grant period of July 1, 2024, through June 30, 2025.

The Cleveland Public Library was awarded $234,000 in federal funds to supplement state funding for the operation of the Ohio Library for the Blind and Print Disabled (OLBPD) from July 1, 2024,to June 30, 2025.

“Awarding these federal LSTA funds to these programs represents the State Library’s commitment to supporting Ohio’s libraries in their efforts to provide valuable programs and resources for the people who live and work in their communities," expressed Beverly Cain, Interim State Librarian. "Many libraries have shared that it would not be possible for them to provide these services and resources without these funds.”