The Librarian as Candidate North Country Library System - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

▶
the librarian as candidate
SMART_READER_LITE
LIVE PREVIEW

The Librarian as Candidate North Country Library System - - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Apr 03, 2024 139 likes •568 views

John Chrastka Executive Director john.chrastka@everylibrary.org Building voter support for libraries The Librarian as Candidate North Country Library System EveryLibrary Why Libraries Lose The day of the vote is the first time enough

slide-1
SLIDE 1

The Librarian as Candidate

North Country Library System EveryLibrary

Building voter support for libraries

John Chrastka Executive Director john.chrastka@everylibrary.org

slide-2
SLIDE 2

Building voter support for libraries

Why Libraries Lose

  • The day of the vote is the first time enough people

see the budget

  • Win by losing
  • Any tax is a bad tax
  • Against the staff or leadership
  • Issues with Access

#everylibrary

slide-3
SLIDE 3

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

Building voter support for libraries

slide-4
SLIDE 4

What Activates Voters for the Library?

#1 - Nothing Impacts Voter Behavior More than their Perception of the Librarian and the Library as Institution. #2 - Awareness that there is a Measure

  • n the ballot.

Building voter support for libraries

slide-5
SLIDE 5

What Activates Voters for The Library?

The Librarian is the Candidate The Library is the Incumbent Library = Librarians + Community

Building voter support for libraries

slide-6
SLIDE 6

Building voter support for libraries

How Candidates “Surface”

  • Write the book
  • Tell their story
  • Be an expert
  • Get endorsed
  • Build the team
slide-7
SLIDE 7

Building voter support for libraries

How Candidates “Surface”

  • Write the book
  • Tell their story
  • Be an expert
  • Get endorsed
  • Build the team
slide-8
SLIDE 8

Build the Library Coalition

Start with your allies. Then make new allies.

slide-9
SLIDE 9

Inventory Your Allies

  • 1. Educational Partners
  • 2. Social Welfare and Religious Partners
  • 3. Governmental Partners
  • 4. Civic Partners
  • 5. Business Partners
  • 6. Politicians
  • 7. Media

Building voter support for libraries

#everylibrary

slide-10
SLIDE 10

Like - Support - ID

I Like what you’re doing ---> I Support what you are doing ---> I Want to identify us with what you are doing.

Building voter support for libraries

#everylibrary

slide-11
SLIDE 11

Community Assets Survey

One on One Contact to Build the Coalition

slide-12
SLIDE 12

Inventory Your Allies

  • 1. Educational Partners

Pre-K and K-12 College/University For-Profit Tutoring Private/Public After-School Programs Three Messages: Library as Educational Partner, Library as Resource Extender, Library as Gap Filler

Building voter support for libraries

slide-13
SLIDE 13

Inventory Your Allies

  • 2. Social Welfare and Religious Partners

Counseling Centers Food Pantry / WIC Jobs Training Center Literacy Centers Boy Scouts / Girl Scouts Three Messages: Library as Resource Extender, Library as Third Place, Library as Start Point

Building voter support for libraries

slide-14
SLIDE 14

Inventory Your Allies

  • 3. Governmental Partners

Parks Public Safety – Police and Fire Public Works Public Employee Unions Three Messages: Library as Contact Place, Library as Info Point, Library in Common Cause

Building voter support for libraries

slide-15
SLIDE 15

Inventory Your Allies

  • 4. Civic Partners

Rotary, Lions, Kiwanis Heritage and local history GLBT, Immigrant and New Resident Three Messages: Library as Social Leveler, Library as Neutral Good, Library as [insert

  • rganizational cause the library already

champions]

Building voter support for libraries

slide-16
SLIDE 16

Inventory Your Allies

  • 5. Business Partners

Local Chamber / CVB Startups and Entrepreneurs Small Businesses – Service or Retail Big Employers Three Messages: Librarian as Business Reference Resource, Library as Training Space, Library as Retail Anchor

Building voter support for libraries

slide-17
SLIDE 17

Inventory Your Allies

  • 6. Politicians

Incumbents Insurgents Local, State, Federal Three Messages: Library as Good Governance, Library as Responsible with Budget, Library as [insert their pet project]

Building voter support for libraries

slide-18
SLIDE 18

Inventory Your Allies

  • 7. Media

Local Print and TV Social Media Groups Bloggers Key Messaging is always your campaign themes and talking points

Building voter support for libraries

slide-19
SLIDE 19

Talk to Your Allies

  • Your allies…
  • Are your endorsers
  • Are your funders
  • Are your coalition partners
  • The person who asks is the individual

“closest to” the potential endorser.

  • Ask early. Ask often.
  • Plan to Publicize

Building voter support for libraries

slide-20
SLIDE 20

Inventory Your Ballot Landscape

  • 1. Who else is on the ballot?
  • 2. Who are your champions?
  • 3. Who is your opposition…?
  • 4. What do they want?
  • 5. What are your potential asks?

Building voter support for libraries

#everylibrary

slide-21
SLIDE 21

Building voter support for libraries

How Candidates “Surface”

  • Write the book
  • Tell their story
  • Be an expert
  • Get endorsed
  • Build the team
slide-22
SLIDE 22

Who is in Your Community?

Identify community leaders 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

slide-23
SLIDE 23

Building the Team

Ask Four Questions:

Q1: What community groups do you belong to? Q2: Where do you live and where do you spend your time? Q3: Who do you know who knows everybody? Q4: Who are we missing?

Building voter support for libraries

slide-24
SLIDE 24

Messaging that Works

The Library as...

slide-25
SLIDE 25

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

slide-26
SLIDE 26

The Library as…

  • Educational Partner
  • Economic Development Engine
  • Social Leveler
  • Place of Discovery
  • Personal Refuge

Voters see the library as a “Transformative Force”

Building voter support for libraries

#everylibrary

slide-27
SLIDE 27

“Transformative Force”

The Library as Incubator

  • Businesses
  • The Arts
  • Community Identity
  • A new building means...

Building voter support for libraries

#everylibrary

slide-28
SLIDE 28

“Transformative Force”

The Library as Leverage

  • Retail Anchor
  • Grants and Capacity
  • Access to Tech
  • A new building means….

Building voter support for libraries

#everylibrary

slide-29
SLIDE 29

Messaging that Works

The Librarians who....

slide-30
SLIDE 30

“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

slide-31
SLIDE 31

“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

slide-32
SLIDE 32

Community Engagement Outside of Campaigns

Fulfill your mission and lay the groundwork for future success

slide-33
SLIDE 33

Walking* Phoning* Events Social Signs Mailers

How Campaigns Engage Voters

Building voter support for libraries

Personal contact with the candidate

  • r their representative

Activates volunteers and identifies core supporters “Tribal” identity Least effective

slide-34
SLIDE 34

Community Engagement

Get the Staff out of the library

  • Surveys
  • Programs and Events
  • Service Delivery
  • Seasonal Engagement

Building voter support for libraries

slide-35
SLIDE 35

ProTips

Improve customer service within the library

  • Training and role playing
  • Ramp Up the social media
  • Check policies that get in the way

Building voter support for libraries

slide-36
SLIDE 36

Community Engagement

Surveys

  • Community Assessment Survey
  • Strategic Planning Surveys
  • Key Stakeholder Surveys

Building voter support for libraries

slide-37
SLIDE 37

Community Engagement

Programs and Events:

  • Programs that support your allies and endorsers
  • Programs that expose your staff to new people
  • Programs that encourage civic engagement

Building voter support for libraries

slide-38
SLIDE 38

Community Engagement

Service Delivery:

  • New resident visits
  • Embedded librarians with key allies
  • Library Card Sign-up Month*

Building voter support for libraries

slide-39
SLIDE 39

What Do We Do Now?

Start the Coalition

slide-40
SLIDE 40

Building voter support for libraries

How Candidates “Surface”

  • Write the book
  • Tell their story
  • Be an expert
  • Get endorsed
  • Build the team
slide-41
SLIDE 41

Your To Do List:

3 Days: Start spending on social media; Show off the staff

  • n social media

Few Weeks: Set that first new meeting and have two with

  • ld allies

April or Sept 2016 : Library Card Sign-ups Outside By next year: Convene the “Library Coalition”

Building voter support for libraries

slide-42
SLIDE 42

John Chrastka EveryLibrary

www.everylibrary.org facebook/everylibrary @everylibrary john.chrastka@everylibrary.org

Building voter support for libraries

Thank You