EveryLibrary Institute, NFP

We are thrilled to resume regular publication of The Political Librarian with Volume 4, Issue 2. Our deepest gratitude to our authors and readers for your unwavering patience over the past several months. We had intended to resume publication in early spring of 2020. The disruption of Covid-19 changed our plans, as it has for everyone.

Earlier this week, library leaders from around the world gathered online to learn and collaborate on effective advocacy and funding techniques beyond standard storytelling methods participating in EveryLibrary Institute’s Library Advocacy and Funding Virtual Conference, on September 14th-September 16th. All presenters were hand-selected from some of the largest campaigns, advocacy groups, fundraising organizations, and large corporations to deliver new ideas, strategies and tactics for rebuilding support for library funding.

If you look past the seemingly endless shelves of books, you’ll find that libraries are significant centers of learning, professional development, and community. At your local library, you can find jobs, explore different perspectives, research new ideas, be inspired by stories, and so much more.  There’s something for everyone at the library, and all of the library's services are available for free thanks to support from Friends of the Library groups and foundations. Here are fundraising ideas to help any Friends of the Library group raise vital funds while creating community awareness and appreciation for the local library. 

The new whitepaper "School Libraries and the COVID Slide" from the EveryLibrary Institute looks closely at how school library programs staffed by certified school librarians can help stand in new education gaps during COVID disruptions. 

We’re excited to announce four new webinars-on-demand! Check them out today.

The COVID-era challenges to library funding are just starting to come into focus. From school funding cuts to austerity budgets for states and municipalities, the economic shocks will be real and significant. These organizations and associations need resources to advance their local legislative and advocacy priorities, and libraries need to be seen and funded for what they are — solutions to the real problems threatening literacy, economic prosperity, and equity. 

The rapid shift by public libraries to digital, online, and virtual services during COVID must be measured and reported in order to create new advocacy narratives and budget justifications for the coming budget crisis.

The library industry is under threat from a number of major crises simultaneously during these uncertain times, particularly the loss of financial and voter support. The COVID-19 crisis has decimated the fundamental municipal tax base that funds school and public libraries. Even libraries that were doing well before the crisis may be facing new challenges. Without community support, libraries will continue to drastically lose funding in the coming years.

COVID19 has presented public libraries with a unique set of challenges -- libraries across the country closed their doors and/or restricted/limited access to their spaces.  As such, traditional measures of library value and usage (the ones that required in-library visitations) came to a grinding halt.  For example physical reference questions have become remote reference questions and programs are being delivered via video conferencing software.

Join PEN America and The EveryLibrary Institute for an exclusive two-part media literacy training for library educators on Wednesday, May 27 and Thursday, May 28 at 2:00pm Eastern time.