A new campaign from British Columbia, Don’t Pull the Plug on Libraries, addresses the core, unmet needs I see in American public library funding advocacy:
- An organized central resource for library advocates.
- Direct, concise information for the public and public officials.
Here are a few of this campaign’s strengths:
- Its name is a call to action.
- Its website is a one-stop-shop for all library advocates (the public, library staff, library board, friends and media).
- Each advocacy group has a single page with a concise summary of library benefits followed by a short list of actions.
- The campaign is featured on the homepage of individual libraries, library blogs and community news sites.
Could a campaign like this work in the United States? Yes—in fact, I believe a concerted national campaign that incorporates data for each funding source (state, county, municipality) is the best hope for saving our public libraries.
