1. The Librarian as Candidate
Building voter support for libraries
The Librarian as Candidate
PALA Reaching New Heights
John Chrastka @mrchrastka
Good morning
Thank you
Introduce ourselves

2. First Nationwide PAC for Libraries
41 Campaigns
13 more in November
$100+ million in stable tax funding
18 State School Associations and ESSA
Donor supported -> Pro-Bono Support *

3. Negotiation and Lobbying Support for funding
Over 50 trainings - from individual libraries to state assoc and agencies
#votelibraries 2016
The Political Librarian
everylibrary.org - professional facing
votelibraries.org - public facing
action.everylibrary.org - take action *

4. Voter Data that Frames Our Discussion
“From Awareness to Funding” says…
Building voter support for libraries

5. Voter Attitudes Nationwide, of all voters:
37% will Definitely vote yes for the library
37% will Probably vote yes for the library
26% will Probably or Definitely vote no or may vote either way.
Building voter support for libraries

6. Library Use Does Not Matter
A voter’s willingness to support increased library funding is not driven, or limited, by library use.
- OCLC "From Awareness to Funding" p. 7-2
Building voter support for libraries

7. Library as Transformative Force
[T]he library is not perceived as just a provider of practical answers and information; the most committed supporters hold the belief that the library is a transformational force.
- OCLC "From Awareness to Funding" p. 7-4
Building voter support for libraries

8. Attitude - Not Demographics
A crucial and somewhat unexpected finding from the segmentation analysis was that demographics and lifestage were not important constructs in the library supporter segmentation. In fact, demographics are irrelevant to library funding support. The factors that determine residents’ willingness to increase their taxes to support their local library are their perceptions and attitudes about the library and the librarian, not their age, gender, education level or household income. Library funding support is an attitude, not a demographic.
- OCLC "From Awareness to Funding" p. 7-3
Building voter support for libraries

9. Attitude - Not Demographics
The factors that determine residents’ willingness to increase their taxes to support their local library are their perceptions and attitudes about the library and the librarian.
- OCLC "From Awareness to Funding" p. 7-3
Building voter support for libraries

10. Perception of the Librarian(s)
[Voters] recognize the value of a ‘passionate librarian’ as a true advocate for lifelong learning.
- OCLC "From Awareness to Funding" p. 7-4
Building voter support for libraries

11. What Activates Voters? Seven Factors: A Reason to Vote Mobilized
Personal Contact with Candidate or Issue*
Culture/Tradition/Habit of Voting*
Trust in Government
Decided to Vote
Weather/Access to Polls
Both
Building voter support for libraries

12. What Activates Voters for a Library Measure?
The Librarian is the Candidate
The Library is the Incumbent
Library = Librarians + Community

13. How Candidates “Surface”
02/27/13
How Candidates “Surface”
Write the book
Tell their story
Be seen as an expert
Start an Exploratory Team
Get endorsed
Launch their Campaign
Building voter support for libraries

14. *What is Your Book? Strategic Plan Management Plan
02/27/13
*What is Your Book?
Strategic Plan
Management Plan
Service/Programs/Collections Plan
Fundraising Goals
Financials and Fiduciary
John
Building voter support for libraries

15. *Tell Your Story - Be the Expert
Start talking about your plans
Introduce staff to the public
Drink more coffee (meetings)
Ask people to join you
Spend money to get Likes
Sign folks up for ing lists
Continually educate your stakeholders

16. Introduce Staff to the Public
Humanize your social media
Walk your neighborhoods
Library Card Signups door to door
Surveys door to door
Look past job titles

17. *Build Your Campaign Team
Involved in their communities
Library’s importance to a child’s
education
See the library as a noble place
Library as a vital community resource to be supported
Value a ‘passionate librarian’
Building voter support for libraries

18. Identify Your Team with 5 Quick Questions
02/27/13
Identify Your Team with 5 Quick Questions
Q1. Why is the library important to you, personally?
Q2. What is your favorite reason to use the library?
Q3. Who does the Library serve? *
Q4. Why is the library important to those people?
Q5. What will new funding do to serve those communities?
Building voter support for libraries

19. Limits to their Love They will not ‘go’ without your permission.
They will stand with you. But they won’t stand long
without you.
You don’t want them to stand alone. They start to wander.

20. Infrastructure…. Spend money to get Likes
02/27/13
Infrastructure….
Spend money to get Likes
-Likes are the gateway to effective, cheap, and locally relevant advertising on social media
Sign folks up for ing lists
- is the gateway to the internet.
John

21. *Getting Endorsed Vision for the community is the key story to tell
You will either have more money than people, or more people than money
Elections are won through coalitions
Endorsements drive legitimacy
Proxies who to speak for the candidate are necessary
Building voter support for libraries

22. Guiding Principle: Dread Pirate Roberts

23. Building Your Message
After Lunch [PC]

24. Plan A / B Frames We have a plan that... Is basic - needs stability
Is aspirational - needs growth
Is integral - advances several missions
The community needs the library to….
Partner
Incubators
Leverage
Building voter support for libraries

25. “Perception of the Librarian”
Nothing Impacts Voter Behavior More than Their Perception of the Librarian and the Library as Institution.
#everylibrary
Building voter support for libraries

26. “The Passionate Librarian”
We are the Librarians who….
… find a job
… learn to read
… connect with family
Let me tell you about my librarians….
Building voter support for libraries

27. Remember – Use Does Not Matter
To Library Users:
“As you know...”
Personal Value Proposition
Value for Other
Activation as a Voter
To Non-Users:
“As you can imagine...”
Value to/for “Other”
Satisfaction as a Voter
Building voter support for libraries

28. action.everylibrary.org
John

29. www.everylibrary.org facebook/everylibrary @everylibrary
Thank You
John Chrastka
EveryLibrary
facebook/everylibrary @everylibrary
Building voter support for libraries