Are Petitions Effective in the Fight for Libraries?

This is a complicated question and the answer is both yes and no.

If the petition isn’t done in a way that engages supporters to sign it, doesn’t collect data, won’t activate supporters, and never engages them to take more action, then the answer is no. Luckily, that’s not the way our new petition platform works. In fact, it is the strongest petition system in the library industry built on the do-gooder platform because we work with you and support your petition to make sure it’s done right. Nobody else offers this level of service for your petitions for libraries.

Digital petitions on the right platform can be one of the most powerful tools in a library advocate’s toolbox. In fact, we have seen an explosion in petition platforms across the Internet because a petition is a time-tested way to make change. At its simplest, a petition is a clear request to a decision maker, signed by many supporters. Think of it this way: What if a government agency received thousands of emails from valued customers asking them to change a bad policy? One would hope that after seeing the emails and hearing from thousands of citizens, the politicians would change their minds.

However, as we have seen, politicians have been less responsive to large petitions and some politicians ignore them outright. This is because most petition platforms do not engage their signers to take further action and after the petition is done all the data about the supporters is lost to the internet. This is what’s known as slacktivism and this is how EveryLibrary petitions are different. We use petitions as the first step in advocacy for libraries and not the last.

EveryLibrary Petitions:

• Ensure that library supporters have a voice in their communities
• Are a platform for the public to contact their representatives
• Educate both the public and the politicians about library issues
• Identify library supporters and activists in communities
• Activate supporters to attend rallies, events, and take action for libraries

Signing and sharing EveryLibrary petitions ensure that libraries are given not only the signatures they need to fight for libraries, but the supporters and the activists they need as well. Please, sign and share our petitions today.

Want to Use Our Petition Platform?

Getting started with us to use our petition platform is easy. Just contact us and report a threat to libraries through our online form and we will contact you to see how we can help you fight. If it’s not your own library, that’s ok, report it to us anyway and we will take it from there. Of course, you are free to send us an anonymous tip as well. Report a threat here!

Made Possible By Our Rapid Response Fund

Many of our actions are funded through our Rapid Response Fund. This fund allows us to take action for libraries in the event of a clear and immediate threat. We have been able to use this funding to fight against bad legislation in Michigan, to fight the Koch Brother Funded PAC in Illinois, and to fight against a terrible election to defund the library in LaFouche Parish in Lousiana in order to fund a prison. While we can help fight these battles with our rapid response fund, we also need your help to fund it. Click here to find out how.