The Librarian as CandidatePALA 2016 - Reaching New Heights

John Chrastka @mrchrastka | @everylibrary

Building voter support for libraries

● 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

● 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 facingvotelibraries.org - public facingaction.everylibrary.org - take action

Voter Data that Frames Our Discussion

“From Awareness to Funding” says…

Building voter support for libraries

Voter AttitudesNationwide, of all voters:

37% will Definitely vote yes for the library37% will Probably vote yes for the library

26% will Probably or Definitely vote no or may vote either way.

Building voter support for libraries

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

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

Attitude - Not DemographicsA 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

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

[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

Perception of the Librarian(s)

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 PollsBuilding voter support for libraries

What Activates Voters for a Library Measure?

The Librarian is the Candidate

The Library is the Incumbent

Library = Librarians + Community

Building voter support for libraries

How Candidates “Surface”● Write the book● Tell their story● Be seen as an expert● Start an Exploratory Team● Get endorsed● Launch their Campaign

*What is Your Book?Strategic Plan

Management Plan

Service/Programs/Collections Plan

Fundraising Goals

Financials and Fiduciary

Building voter support for libraries

*Tell Your Story - Be the Expert1. Start talking about your plans2. Introduce staff to the public3. Drink more coffee (meetings)4. Ask people to join you5. Spend money to get Likes6. Sign folks up for emailing lists7. Continually educate your stakeholders

Introduce Staff to the Public

● Humanize your social media

● Walk your neighborhoodso Library Card Signups

door to dooro Surveys door to door

● Look past job titles

*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

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

Limits to their LoveThey 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.

Infrastructure….Spend money to get Likes

-Likes are the gateway to effective, cheap, and locally relevant advertising on social media

Sign folks up for emailing lists

- Email is the gateway to the internet.

*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

Guiding Principle: Dread Pirate Roberts

Building Your Message

Plan A / B FramesWe 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

“Perception of the Librarian”

Nothing Impacts Voter Behavior More than Their Perception of the Librarian and the Library as Institution.

Building voter support for libraries

#everylibrary

“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

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

Remember – Use Does Not Matter

Building voter support for libraries

action.everylibrary.org

John ChrastkaEveryLibrary

www.everylibrary.orgfacebook/everylibrary

@everylibrary

Building voter support for libraries

Thank You