Love libraries? Search for Open Offices. Get On the Ballot!

If you care about libraries, your community needs you in office. It’s that simple.

But maybe you don't know what to run for, or how to get on the ballot?

That's why we partnered with NationBuilder to offer you this great tool to search for local open opportunities to run for office.

The Opportunity Is Real

Here’s the part most people don’t realize: thousands of elected offices across the United States have little to no competition. Nearly 70% of races go unopposed.

That means the barrier to entry is not as high as it seems. In many cases, the biggest step is simply deciding to run.

There are open seats right now in communities just like yours. Local offices. School boards. County commissions. State legislatures. These are the roles where decisions about libraries are made every day.

Some of these opportunities are highly lucrative. For example, here's an elected official on Maryland's Eastern Shore who makes over $100,000 a year!

That could be you.

Start Where You Are

The tool at everylibrary.runforoffice.org exists for one reason: to help you find those opportunities.

Instead of guessing where to begin, you can search for open offices in your community and immediately see where your leadership is needed most. You can explore races at every level of government, understand what’s available, and identify where you can make a real impact.

This is not about running someday.
This is about finding a place to run right now.

Whether it’s a school board seat that shapes student access to libraries, a city council position that controls funding, or a state-level role that influences policy, there is a path for you.

You Already Have What It Takes

If you work in a library, support one, or simply believe in the power of reading and access to information, you already have what it takes.

Libraries are built on service, trust, and community engagement. Those are not just library values. They are leadership values.

When library supporters run for office, they bring:

• A commitment to public access
• Real experience serving diverse communities
• A belief in facts, knowledge, and learning
• A focus on long-term community investment

And most importantly, they bring a voice that is often missing from government.

The challenges facing libraries today are not abstract. They are political. Funding decisions, policy debates, and attacks on intellectual freedom all happen in rooms where elected officials make choices.

If you want different outcomes, you need different people in those seats.

Because when library supporters are on the ballot, the conversation changes. Priorities shift. Communities benefit.

Take the First Step

You don’t need to have everything figured out to begin.

You just need to take the first step.

Go to everylibrary.runforoffice.org.
Search for open offices in your community.
Find where you can run.

Then ask yourself a simple question:

If not you, who?

There has never been a more important moment for library supporters to step into leadership. The seats are there. The need is clear. The path is open.

Now it’s your move.