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Top of Mind
The Silence of the Shelves
Ohio’s new budget comes for your library card.
Well, it finally happened: lawmakers passed the state budget, and tucked inside it, right between school funding formulas and tax math, is a quiet little grenade aimed at Ohio’s public libraries.
House Bill 96, the newly passed two-year budget, includes a provision requiring libraries to segregate any materials related to sexual orientation or gender identity so that they’re not “visible to minors.” There’s no definition of what qualifies. No clear enforcement mechanism. Just a vague mandate that opens the door to censorship under the guise of "protection."
And to sweeten the deal? Lawmakers also changed how libraries are funded. Instead of using a consistent percentage of state revenue through the Public Library Fund, they’ve replaced it with a flat-line budget: $990 million over two years. That’s $90 million less than what Governor Mike DeWine had proposed, and it comes at the exact moment libraries are being asked to completely reorganize their collections.
The result: Ohio’s libraries are expected to do more, with less, while policing their shelves like TSA agents for controversial content.
The Columbus Metropolitan Library called it “harmful, expensive, and unnecessary.” The Ohio Library Council warned the provision would cost millions and take years to implement. One large system project would take up to six years of staff time and $3.1 million to comply. Smaller libraries could be forced to become adults-only zones altogether, cutting off kids and families from vital community services.
Michelle Francis, executive director of the Ohio Library Council, didn’t mince words:
“This is a direct hit to Ohio’s libraries and the communities they serve... a dangerous overreach that undermines intellectual freedom.”
Governor DeWine now has the power to issue a line-item veto on this provision. He has until Today, June 30 to act. The next few days are critical.
📞 Call 614-466-3555
📩 Email: governor.ohio.gov/contact
Tell Governor DeWine:
Ohio doesn’t need book bans or budget cuts.
We need libraries that are open, informed, and accessible to everyone.
Because at the end of the day, this isn’t just about books, it’s about who gets to read them.
Scarlet Letter Trivia
Question: How many years has Red White and Boom been booming?
A. 14
B. 124
C. 4
D. 44
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The Lettuce Box
Ohio State student Bud Shively signed out a $5 bill from the “lettuce box” at a campus hangout that provided short-term loans to students, 1949.
How Five-Dollar Loans Fueled Weekends of Fun at Ohio State.
Imagine it’s 1949, and you’re a broke student at Ohio State University. Tuition’s paid, but your pockets are a little too light for weekend plans. Enter the “Lettuce Box,” a clever and life-saving invention hanging on the wall of Hedon Hall, a popular student hangout owned by Will Parker. No, this wasn’t a box for salad fixings; it was essentially a mini-bank, where students could borrow $5 (equivalent to about $63 today) in times of need. The rules? Simple. You sign out a $5 bill, promising to return it in five days or face a little public embarrassment as your IOU is turned face-up in the box.
This informal loan system wasn’t just a quirky college tradition—it was a lifeline for many students, particularly veterans using the GI Bill to attend college post-WWII. With $2,500 lent out over the years and only one unreturned loan, the Lettuce Box proved that trust, even in matters of finance, could work wonders.
Will Parker (right), owner of popular campus coffee shop Hedon Hall, retrieved a $5 bill from the “lettuce box” to loan to Ohio State student Bud Shively (fourth from left) Columbus, Ohio, 1949.
They really loved their White Castle…
Staked with $5 for the weekend, Ohio State student Bud Shively and his date Vivan DeMaria spent 40 cents for burgers and Cokes at a White Castle, 1949.
One particularly legendary story featured Ohio State student Bud Shively, who borrowed from the Lettuce Box and embarked on a whirlwind weekend, meticulously documented by LIFE magazine. Shively’s weekend escapades—ranging from burgers at White Castle, to a poker game and he even took his girl to the circus—showcase the simplicity of college life in the late 1940s. And yes, by the time Sunday rolled around, Bud’s $5 was gone, but not wasted. He even tossed his last quarter into the church plate.
The weekend included a picnic on Sunday afternoon put on by the girls; by this time Bud had blown through his $5 loan, Columbus, Ohio, 1949.
In the News
Red, White & Everywhere
Columbus goes all out for the Fourth. No seriously, everywhere is doing something.
It’s almost Independence Day, and if the sheer number of fireworks, parades, and foam-based chemical explosions is any indication, Columbus has no intention of celebrating America’s birthday quietly.
Let’s start downtown, where the city cranks the patriotism up to 11.
Red, White & BOOM! returns with the Midwest’s largest fireworks display (because of course it does), but the festivities don’t stop there. On June 29, the Columbus Symphony kicks things off with Patriotic Pops and Soul at Columbus Commons, aka the classiest way to sweat in public while listening to live music.
On July 4, the Doo Dah Parade marches through the Short North like a fever dream of liberty, satire, and people wearing costumes that would definitely not get TSA approval. It’s part protest, part parade, all chaos, and absolutely free to join.
Need a breather between explosions and flag capes? Swing by the National Veterans Memorial and Museum. They’re handing out flags, hosting educational activities, and collaborating with COSI for a “Red, White & Blue Elephant Toothpaste” launch. It’s science. It’s messy. It’s America.
But downtown is just the start. Here’s a sampling of how the suburbs are planning to out-America each other this year:
Bexley: 5K, parade, fireworks. The full civic bingo card.
Dublin: Martina McBride and explosions. Name a more patriotic combo.
Gahanna: Fireworks on July 3, because even Gahanna likes to beat the rush.
Grove City: Fireworks from Murfin Fields. Make your own jokes about that.
Hilliard: Freedom Fest brings pool hours, food trucks, and live music.
New Albany: Parade by day, fireworks by night. Classic, efficient.
Pickerington: Two-day celebration. Boom Wednesday, parade Thursday.
Reynoldsburg: Food trucks and music July 3, parade July 4. Something for everyone.
Upper Arlington: Wake-up calls, a massive parade, park parties, and fireworks. If this city celebrated any harder, it’d need a recovery day.
Obetz: Fortress Fireworks returns July 3 with inflatables and music. No actual fortress required.
Westerville: 5K, parade, concerts, food trucks, fireworks. It’s basically an Americana playlist come to life.
Worthington: Chill family picnic at the high school—then fireworks. Keep it classic.
So whether your ideal July 4 involves high art, hot dogs, or controlled chemical reactions, Columbus has a celebration that fits. Just remember: hydrate, sunscreen, and if you’re heading to Doo Dah, maybe bring goggles.
Stars, stripes, and possibly spontaneous combustion: the full summer package.
Trivia Answer
D. 44 fireworks baby!
Signing Off
