The Library Stays Open!
We are really happy to report wins for both of the libraries we supported on their Election Days yesterday!
First off, the town of Douglas, MA. passed a $1.5 million levy override that ensures the Simon Fairfield Public Library will remain open. Without that override vote, the library would have closed by the 4th of July. Unofficial results are that it passed by 13 votes out of 2,651 cast. In Bucyrus, OH, the library team is celebrating passing a new, .5 mill local levy for the library. It is the first time the library will have local, stable funding in addition to state aid. After failing to pass the levy before, it’s a big Election Day win.
Because of our donors, EveryLibrary was able to do three big things for both of those libraries: 1) provide campaign consulting on the strategies and tactics of running a winning Vote Yes campaign; 2) advise the staff and board on how to run a highly engaged Info-Only campaign; and 3) bundle up donations from around the country and send them to the Vote Yes committee to buy things like yard signs and social media advertising. Our work is always pro-bono, and it is always one-on-one. No two towns are the same. There is no way to just send out a tool-kit and hope for the best.
As you know, over 90% of public library funding comes from their local communities. EveryLibrary’s mission is to build voter support for libraries so they can have a stable funding future. If you would like to see EveryLibrary do more of this high-impact, high-involvement library advocacy, please help us by donating today. We can point to over $264 million in wins for libraries since our first campaign in 2013. All of them we pro-bono because of people like you.
Our next library Election Day is next Tuesday in Wallowa County, OR. If you donate today, it will go right to work tomorrow helping to win funding for libraries.