Yesterday started out quietly. And then this happened:

Official wants to de-fund library, users should 'go back to Mexico'

We honestly weren't tracking on the Lafourche library election happening tomorrow.  I don't think they were tracking on us, either.  But when an election that proposes to take money from the library in order to build a new jail is so racially charged, we needed to act.  We took a look at our budget and committed some serious money to supporting the library community in Lafourche Parish, LA.  We called this "The Worst Library Election in the Country" for a good reason:  It is.  When the Parish Council Chair, the person responsible for putting this funding 'shell game' on the ballot, talks about the library he doesn't talk about civic priorities or the role that libraries play in the community.  He talks about race and class and station in life.  It is ridiculous that Mr. Lindel Toups would try to pull a fast one on voters who approved the dedicated library levy years ago.  But what he said - in the newspaper - is horrific:

“They’re teaching Mexicans how to speak English,” the council chairman said in reference to Biblioteca Hispana, a Hispanic-language segment of the Golden Meadow library branch. “Let that son of a bitch go back to Mexico. There’s just so many things they’re doing that I don’t agree with. … Them junkies and hippies and food stamps (recipients) and all, they use the library to look at drugs and food stamps (on the Internet). I see them do it.” (link)

We immediately put out the call to you, our donors, and asked for help to buy more ads across social media about that library.  You helped us amp-up a message to Lafourche voters that their library is in danger of losing it's funding in a catastrophic way.  Having Neil Gaiman tweet out about it didn't hurt either:

So... @neilhimself broke @everylibrary's page about Lafourche and the racism there. But check the story on http://t.co/Vvo2DTg27D

— pcsweeney (@pcsweeney) November 14, 2013

We suspect you agree that gutting the library levy to build a jail is a bad idea. We know that you were as appalled as we are by the Council Chair's comments. We know because you stepped up and donated, tweeted, posted, tumbled, and shared about this travesty. The messages we've put out about the library are focused on the facts in this election.  The ads you helped buy talk directly to the people of Lafourche Parish:

Amount raised in 24 hours:  $1,125.00

New or renewing donors:  38

Ads up in Lafourche:  8, with a combined targeted reach of 55,000 people 18+ years old

The election is tomorrow.  It is crunch time, people.  Early voting there is over.  The polls open Saturday morning.  We need your help sharing the facts about this election widely in the nine communities served by the Lafourche Public Library.  If you know people there, reach out to them.  If you want to see something different than Mr. Toups' vision for the library and his jail, donate today so we can reach people there.

Resources:

Lafourche Library on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Lafourche-Parish-Public-Library/104508129581698

on Twitter https://twitter.com/LafourcheLib

on Instagram http://statigr.am/lafourchelib

Larouche Parish Public Library Factsheet 1: http://www.lafourche.org/newsite/files/Taxes_at_work_link.pdf

     Factsheet 2: http://www.lafourche.org/newsite/files/Fact_Sheet.pdf

Informational page about the election: http://lafourchelibrary.wordpress.com/

Laforche Parish Public Library homepage: http://www.lafourche.org/newsite/index.html

Voter info and polling place look-up via SOS:  http://voterportal.sos.la.gov/

"Easy share" link with info and donation site for your friends and followers:  https://www.everylibrary.org/donate