Every other year libraries across Ohio participate in Library Legislative Day to talk to legislators about the importance of libraries, as they build the state budget.

However this time around, the stakes are much higher.

"I was so surprised to see the budget come out of the house that eliminates the public library fund and adds back a line item that is $100 million dollars less than what we were expecting," Aimee Fifarek, Director and CEO of the Public Library of Youngstown Mahoning County said.

Fifarek tells 21 News she and other local libraries must dissuade legislators from carrying out these cuts.

"Our entire budget for books and e-books every year is $1.35 million dollars," Fifarek said. "So if we had to cut one thing, that would eliminate all the books and e-books we buy every year," she said.

A library without books is not much of a library at all. Mahoning, Trumbull, Columbiana and Ashtabula counties would all lose money, while Columbus and Delaware county would receive more funding and that's something Fifarek plans to address.

"It's really difficult when your legislature says you're not worth as much as somebody in another county. It would be a serious impact on us but it would be a serious impact regionally. Part of the great thing about statewide level funding like this is that we're encouraged, incentivized and some cases even required to share resources with other communities. Some of our local communities in Ashtabula, Columbiana and Trumbull don't have a library levy. So this is going to hit them doubly hard," Fifarek said. "We are all responding directly to what our communities need and these cuts are going to jeopardize all of that work," she said.

These communities will know by June 30th if the cuts will go into effect.