If You Care About Libraries, It’s Time to Run
Libraries don’t lose funding on their own. Books don’t get banned on their own. These are choices made by people in power.
Every decision about your local library is made by someone in office.
Funding levels. Staffing. Hours. Collections. Policies about what stays on the shelves and what gets pulled. These are not abstract forces or distant systems. They are choices made by elected officials, often at the local level, often by people whose names most voters barely recognize.
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City councils decide budgets. School boards decide whether your children have access to a school library or not.
State legislators write the laws that can either protect the freedom to read or restrict it.
When book bans happen, when funding disappears, when access shrinks, it is because someone in office made that decision.
And here is the part that matters most: the only people who get elected are the ones who run.
If you want different decisions, YOU need to be in those seats.
We made it easy to get started running for office today. It's up to you!
There is a persistent myth that running for office requires a perfect resume, political connections, or a massive campaign budget.
It doesn’t.
Many local offices require a simple filing process, a small number of signatures or a modest fee, and a willingness to show up and talk to your community. That’s it. No gatekeepers. No permission required.
And in races where no one is running, stepping onto the ballot is often the most powerful move you can make.
You already have what it takes. If you’ve ever helped someone find information, managed a program, advocated for resources, or built trust in your community, you’ve been doing the work of leadership all along.
The difference now is stepping into a position where you can make the decisions, not just respond to them.
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You don’t have to have everything figured out today. You just have to take the first step.
That’s where Read. Lead. RUN! comes in.
At ReadLeadRun.org, you can find the tools and guidance to get started. From understanding what offices are available in your community to learning how to get on the ballot and build a campaign, it’s designed to make running for office clear, practical, and achievable.
You don’t need permission to run. You don’t need to wait for the perfect moment.
You just need to decide that your voice, your experience, and your commitment to libraries belong where decisions are made.