Ensure Your Library is a Success. Political and Community Advocacy Webinars in April

You need to be successful in politics to be successful in libraries. Most libraries in the United States are funded through voter or political action. Even if you are not going to the voters or need support from your local politicians in the next couple of years, there are things that you need to know now. There are things that you can start doing today to ensure that when the day comes to increase or continue funding, you will be well positioned and have a strong set of tools and knowledge for a successful GOTV or Advocacy campaign. This set of webinars by EveryLibrary is crafted to give you tools to ensure that your library remains well funded and relevant in the minds of your local politicians and citizens.

EveryLibrary is the first on only national-wide political action committee for libraries. This organization has helped 19 libraries win over 60 million dollars in funding in the last two years. In fact, for every dollar spent on campaigns by EveryLibrary, they have returned $1,600 in funding to the libraries. They have also worked with libraries in crisis in places like Miami-Dade to help win back funding through community organizing and helped organize strategies for success through non-ballot political change.

EveryLibrary’s long history of success and in-depth knowledge of libraries in the political eco-system are why they will be promoted in our inaugural series of webinars.

All webinars are just $25 per viewing. As with all of our webinars, much of the money raised will go to support proven library advocacy projects like EveryLibrary in order to ensure that libraries are a continued success in the United States. So be happy to know that your support of our webinars, also support libraries and librarians and improve our whole ecosystem.

April Series

Political Advocacy and Campaign Basics
Thursday, April 2, 2015 from 1:00 PM to 2:00 PM (PDT)
Do you wonder what the limits are for the library board and staff during a library ballot initiative? Are you worried that a Vote Yes Campaign may reflect negatively on the library? Join EveryLibrary for an informative webinar exploring the difference between Information Only and Vote Yes campaigns, and come away with solid advice about effective planning and execution. We will talk clearly about what library staff and officials involved with Informational campaigns can and cannot do. We will provide a roadmap to the roles and responsibilities of those involved in the ballot initiative including staff and administration, Friends and Foundations, and the local Ballot Committee. We will demonstrate how a local ballot committee with a campaign plan can help reach voters in different – and important – ways.

Your Campaign Starts Today: Surfacing your Campaign and the Political Landscape Memo
Tuesday, April 7, 2015 from 1:00 PM to 2:00 PM (PDT)
Surfacing is an early and important strategy that you can implement as far ahead of an election as you can plan for. Even if your campaign is years away, the work you do in this phase can make your campaign much easier and much less expensive. Surfacing is the (process) by which a candidate emerges into the public consciousness and creates a public identity for themselves as a candidate. This is a critical stage of campaigning- any missteps in this stage can tarnish your image and stay with you throughout the campaign. In this webinar, we will explore the seven stages of surfacing and how they can have a positive impact on your campaign. A strong campaign also begins with a strong political landscape memo. This document is the structure for your campaign and includes the goals, strategies, and tactics your campaign will use to win. In this webinar, we will cover what your political landscape memo needs to include and how this is an important first product for your campaign.

Building your local ballot committee
Thursday, April 9, 2015 from 1:00 PM to 2:00 PM (PDT)
Does the idea of reporting campaign contributions keep you up at night? It should. We can help. EveryLibrary invites you to a learning-session on the basics of local ballot committee campaign finances, reporting, and compliance. Participants will learn about recordkeeping issues that create red flags for auditors and funders. We will share practical tips on how to maintain funder and volunteer information and provide you with tools for finding the right information from local, state, and federal sources for your campaign. Whether you are running an Information-Only campaign and want to learn about appropriate sources for funding your work, or are managing a Vote Yes campaign and want to put campaign contributions to work quickly, this session will provide practical advice.

Surveys and Polling in Campaign Planning
Tuesday, April 14, 2015 from 1:00 PM to 5:00 PM (PDT)
Do you know how your library is perceived by voters around the community? Are there people out there who don’t love the library to the point of voting against it? EveryLibrary wants you find the answers by helping you ask the right questions. Participants in this interactive discussion will learn about the value of pre-polling a ballot measure, the role that push polling can play in a voter awareness campaign, ways to use library strategic planning surveys effectively in campaign planning, and the importance of conducting oppositional research early.

Dealing with Library Opposition
Thursday, April 16, 2015 from 1:00 PM to 2:00 PM (PDT)
No matter how great your advocacy or campaign message, your library is going to have its critics. How do we stay on message in the face of our critics? It doesn’t matter how much the library is loved, negative politicians or anti-tax and anti-access groups will almost always have some voice in your community. Our experience is that radical engagement and transparency works to either neutralize, sideline, or convert opponents – if it is done early enough. Join EveryLibrary as we dissect the sources of opposition to your library and help you anticipate successfully engaging and countering this resistance.

Facebook and Email: the Essentials of Your Library Campaign
Tuesday, April 21, 2015 from 1:00 PM to 2:00 PM (PDT)
Want to activate voters and advocates and their neighbors? Wondering how to get the word out about a library ballot measure or need the community to rally for your library? Learn how a simple coordinated web and social media approach can build awareness and engagement with your community. Through liking, sharing, and commenting, you can crowdsource an awareness campaign that will raise engagement exponentially across your community. Learn the best ways to maximize your advertising budget through micro-targeting. We will review techniques for each platform, provide insights into how to monitor success using reports. If you need to convince someone about the value of using social media and email for an advocacy or ballot campaign, this webinar is for you.

Fundraising For Library Campaigns
Thursday, April 23, 2015 from 1:00 PM to 2:00 PM (PDT)
Every YES campaign for libraries has to raise and spend money to maintain an intense level of activity and visibility. Whether your library measure is on a crowded General Election ballot or is a stand-alone election, the reality is that local ballot campaigns need funds to compete in the political arena and break through to voters. Without a fundraising plan that is appropriate to your community and campaign, there can be no signs or advertising, no media coverage, no staff, no office, and no phones. Without money, there is no campaign. Join EveryLibrary for a discussion on jump starting a campaign finance plan that will help you succeed at the polls and activate new donors in your community for the library.

The Day After Your Campaign, Now What?
Thursday, April 30, 2015 from 1:00 PM to 2:00 PM (PDT)
Well, you won. Now what? Or maybe you lost. NOW what? You need more than a gracious speech or blog post on election night. Learn about ways to channel either success or failure at the polls into ongoing public engagement with the library. Learn how to retain campaign volunteers and convert them into supporters, Friends, and contributors. Hear about effective ways to engage your whole community – even the No voters – as library users, advocates and taxpayers. Help yourself, your staff, and leadership anticipate opposition that may be ongoing after Election Day.