Annual Report: Trainings and Teaching

At the EveryLibrary Institute, we understand that every decision to fund or not fund libraries is fundamentally a political act. It is based on how we, as a society, want to raise or allocate taxes.

Whether the decision is made directly by the voters or through a city council, school board, or board of regents, there is competition for limited resources between the library and other departments, divisions, or priorities. If librarians do not effectively engage within this political framework, they will not succeed in securing or extending the resources they need to serve their communities, their schools, or their campuses. It is because of the political nature of library funding that we focus our training programs on political literacy skills. 

Download the entire 2019 Annual Report today!

In 2019, our leadership team was in high demand around the country and internationally as trainers, teachers, speakers, conveners, and presenters who are uniquely focused on political literacy. We were proud to work with several state libraries to deliver intensive in-person full-day trainings to help librarians, staff, and trustees understand how build new support. We developed 12 new on-demand webinars for library leaders on topics from campaign planning to marketing and donor engagement. Our team was honored to engage with three state-level leadership development cohorts to provide intensive trainings and ongoing coaching. We presented numerous webinars for partner organizations and agencies on topics ranging from activism, advocacy and fundraising to holistic digital strategies, developing strong coalition, and building effective messages.

Many of our webinars are free or low-cost because we want to lower barriers to acquiring these important political literacy skills. When we work with a state library, system, or other sponsoring organization our fee-for-services model includes not only customized day-of content but long-term engagement with participants after the event. At the EveryLibrary Institute, we believe in providing ongoing and extensive professional development support because properly equipped and politically savvy librarians, staff, and trustees are themselves ecosystem builders.

Donate today to help us support libraries in 2020.

It is because of the political nature of library funding that we focus our training programs on political literacy skills.

Leadership Development Programs

• San Jose State University – INFO 282-15 Seminar in Library Management on Political Advocacy
• State Library of Florida – Florida Public Library Academy
• Canadian Urban Libraries Council – 2019 Leadership Academy
• Pennsylvania School Librarians Association – 2019 Leadership Retreat
• InfoPeople - “Storytelling for Support” Class 

State Training Tours

• State Library of Iowa – “Marketing to Build Support” for public library staff and trustees
• Tenn-Share – “Political Literacy” for public, academic and school librarians in Tennessee

Selected Partner Webinars 

• LibraryAware - “Library Card Signup Month Door-to-Door”
• Pattern Research - “Reaching Across the Aisle for Library Funding and Other Initiatives: Building Bridges with the Discovery Model”
• Colorado State Library - “Designing the Fundable Strategic Plan

 On-Demand Webinars from the EveryLibrary Institute

• The Fundamentals of Library Advocacy
• Using Social and Email to Maximize Your Visibility
• Polling 101: Understanding Your Community Through Public Opinion Polls
• Help Them Fund Your School Library
• Legislative Day Training
• Fighting Back when Cuts Are Threatened
• Designing the Fundable Strategic Plan