Before the ballot : building political support for library funding

Title:

Author:

Chrastka, John author

ISBN:

9780838917794

Publication:

Chicago : ALA, Neal-Schuman, 2019.

Physical Description:

xii, 260 pages : illustrations ; 23 cm

Contents:

Surfacing the library -- Insights into voter attitudes about libraries -- Radicalizing Americans about libraries -- Librarian as candidate -- Library as cause -- Creating the fundable plan -- Building partnerships and joining coalitions -- Relationship building with people who (should) care -- Defining audiences of potential supporters -- Messaging for funding support -- Understanding engagement with supporters and activists -- Transitioning into the informational communication campaign -- Where problems come from -- Why libraries lose -- Steps in the informational communications campaign -- Ideal 36 month campaign from "before the ballot" to election day -- Conclusion: everyday campaigning.

Abstract:

""On the Path to the Ballot" will focus on Informational Communications Campaigns (commonly referred to as info-only campaigns) for library staff and administrators. The book will discuss the library's role in the years leading up to a campaign and the library's role during ballot measure campaigns. Our companion title "How to Win Elections ..." focused on building and running ballot measure committees and vote Yes campaigns during an election cycle. The material is referential but does not overlap in significant ways. The readership may overlap, but because the legal structure of libraries and the legal structure of ballot committees do not allow for the same type of campaign work, the strategies, and tactics are unique and distinct to these audiences"-- Provided by publisher.

Subject Term:

Library fund raising -- Political aspects -- United States.

Library finance -- Political aspects -- United States.

Libraries and community -- Political aspects -- United States.

Libraries and community -- Political aspects. (OCoLC)fst00997511

Library finance -- Political aspects. (OCoLC)fst00997760

Library fund raising -- Political aspects. (OCoLC)fst00997770

Geographic Term:

United States.

Local Subject:

LIBRARY AND INFORMATION SCIENCE COLLECTION

Added Author:

Sweeney, Patrick "PC",

Available:

Library	Call Number	Material Type	Status
Searching... State Library of Oregon	025.11 Chras	4-Week Loan	Searching... Unknown

Bound With These Titles

On Order

Summary

Let's be blunt: library funding is political. And the struggle to secure funding is ongoing; the work that librarians need to do to influence local politics doesn't just pop up in the few months before Election Day. It should span the years before or between elections. The authors' previous book Winning Elections and Influencing Politicians for Library Funding targeted library ballot committees and advocacy organizations. But their new book speaks directly to librarians, library staff, and boards. It is designed to help library leaders understand and navigate the political nature of their work in the years leading up to a ballot measure or political initiative. Sharing the tools and tactics developed by their organization EveryLibrary , the nation's first and only Political Action Committee for Libraries, in this book they

discuss how the day-to-day work of librarians, their communications with the public, and their roles and responsibilities in the community can help increase the willingness of public and local elected officials to support funding libraries through taxes; guide readers through the practical side of running a public-facing Informational Communications Campaign for their library before Election Day; explain the concept of surfacing, the important groundwork of occupying a strong and positive space in the community during the years before and between ballot measures; demonstrate why surfacing is one of the most crucial steps a library can take to build and maintain support; share the most recent data insights into voter attitudes about libraries and librarians; show how libraries can coordinate internally to build new external partners; offer advice on finding, activating, and holding onto supporters; and discuss the path to the ballot with practical insights about how to get onto the ballot.

This essential resource is filled with concrete steps that librarians, library staff, and boards can take to ensure that political support is there when they need it the most.

Summary:

Reviews (2)

School Library Journal Review

In a follow-up to their previous title, Winning Elections and Influencing Politicians for Library Funding, Chrastka (founder, library PAC EveryLibrary; 2014 LJ Mover & Shaker [M&S]) and Sweeney (political director, EveryLibrary; 2015 LJ M&S) argue that any library that depends on public funds needs to build support years before Election Day. Librarians must understand and navigate the political nature of their work and build power by relying on time, money, and people. They tackle the subject of "surfacing"--bringing a candidate or cause into the public eye, identifying fans and supporters, building coalitions, and finding funders. The book draws heavily on tactics used in political and issue campaigns and points to examples from a range of candidates and organizations, including the Obama campaign, the National Rifle Association, the defunct Cambridge Analytica, Dale Carnegie, and the Sierra Club. The authors cover techniques such as power mapping, on-the-ground contact work, building databases of supporters, managing volunteers, and creating modern digital campaigns. The volume is well organized and free of jargon and concludes with a 36-month campaign plan. VERDICT Essential for librarians, library employees, and board members who don't want to be left in the dust when it comes to funding.--Susan Belsky, Oshkosh Public Library, WI