Lib Politics Rodeo March 10, 2014
This week we announced the first 10 campaigns that we would like to support in 2014. We need your help to make that possible. We are looking for $10,000 in personal donations out of a total of $40,000 that we will need.
Welcome to the Lib Politics Rodeo.
Every Monday we will round up the previous week’s news on library politics and highlight some of the things that we are following or reading. Here’s what we have in our lassos this week…
Big Big News
This week we announced the first 10 campaigns that we would like to support in 2014. We need your help to make that possible. We are looking for $10,000 in personal donations out of a total of $40,000 that we will need. With this funding we will be able to help each campaign through consulting on campaign strategy and providing seed money to the local library ballot committee. Donate today.
The ALA Washington Office came out with a statement on Pres.Obama's proposed 2015 budget. As more cuts happen at the federal and state level, it becomes more and more important to talk to voters in your community about what the library needs, either for election day or for any budget cycle. Even when there is not something on the ballot it is important for there to be clear and consistent messaging on the value of the library for your community.
News
Great and surprising news in Cornelius (OR) this week. The $2.4 million dollars needed for a new library was going to be a ballot measure on the May 2014 ballot after not being passed last November by a very small margin. It looks like they wont be needing that now that the Oregon Legislature granted $2.6 million to the project in their last meeting. Last week we reported on the election day win for the Salem-South Lyon District Library (MI). ALA ran a great follow up article about the advocacy training the library received from United for Libraries.
In the December 16th rodeo we reported on a ballot measure for San Jose libraries that will be on the June 3 ballot. This will extend the current San Jose library tax that will expire this year for 25 more years. Without the renewal, 50 librarians would have been laid off and the city may have had to close some of its 23 branches. In California this will require a ⅔ voter approval. Early polls show that at least 57% would vote Yes with up to 84 % probably voting Yes.
It's a big year for Michigan libraries. This week we learned of 2 more ballot measures in the state. St. Clair County Library will have a millage renewal on the August 5 ballot for their 0.7 mill library tax. The Gratiot County Library has proposed a county wide millage for the August 5 ballot. Some of the townships already have millages, but all the libraries in the county do not benefit from these. The amount still needs to be decided, but no residents will pay more than others if they are already paying a millage.
That’s all for today. Join us next week for another round up. Happy trails!
It's a big year for Michigan libraries. This week we learned of 2 more ballot measures in the state. St. Clair County Library will have a millage renewal on the August 5 ballot for their 0.7 mill library tax. The Gratiot County Library has proposed a county wide millage for the August 5 ballot. Some of the townships already have millages, but all the libraries in the county do not benefit from these. The amount still needs to be decided, but no residents will pay more than others if they are already paying a millage.
That’s all for today. Join us next week for another round up. Happy trails!