In addition to better supporting materials for library advocacy, we need statements that bring the national library funding crisis into sharp relief. By way of example, which of the passages below provides more information and impact for you?
Over the past three decades, California has tripled the number of prisons it operates, has more than quintupled its prison population and has gone from spending $5 on higher education for every dollar it spent on corrections to a virtual dead-heat in spending. That puts it in the same boat as Michigan, Vermont, Oregon, Connecticut and Delaware—all of which, according to estimates by the Pew Charitable Trust, spend as much or more on prisons than on colleges.
The War Against the ‘War on Drugs’
The Nation, 06/17/2009
“At the same time demand for public library services are skyrocketing, the funding needed to maintain these services is in jeopardy in many states,” said the ALA’s Jim Rettig. “Unfortunately, declines in state funding often are compounded by reductions at the local level, creating a snowball effect that threatens library staffing, hours open to the public, collection development, and technology maintenance.
“Libraries are part of the solution when a community is struggling economically—assisting the unemployed with job searches and filing unemployment benefits, helping the unskilled learn to use a computer, providing homework help and access to e-government services,” Rettig added.
The State of America’s Libraries
American Library Association, 04/13/2009
In my opinion, the key to advocacy is getting key local players in your community to state these facts. Anything coming from the library, library groups, or national groups don’t have the same impact as a local person of significance in the community. If you can find the people in power of your community (not the politicians) and get them on your side, you will have success with your message.
Hi Scott – in West Boylston, the town administrator and a number of our selectmen strongly support the library. Community support is also very strong. Our dilemma is that we’re struggling to support all our public services, not just the library.
I believe many communities face the same challenges we do, and that’s why I often call for a new dialogue about how public libraries are funded. The systems that have worked for the past 150 years may need to be re-imagined in light of contemporary economic and competitive pressures.
I’ve been reading your blog for only a small bit of time. What are your ideas?