1. Positioning Your Library
As An Essential Service:
Marketing, Advocacy
and Public Votes
Who You’re Learning With
• Libby Post, President/CEO of
Communication Services
• Work with libraries in NY and NJ on
branding and building referendums,
budget votes and charter changes
• Train library directors and library boards
on how to run successful campaigns
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2. What Tonight Is All About
• Discussion of how to position your library
as an essential service
• Why library board trustees must be
advocates for their library
• How you can stabilize your funding base
What Does Marketing
Have To Do With It?
• Establish the library as an “essential
service” in the community
• Market the library using emotional
branding methods
• Have the library be a reflection of your
community
• Advocate for library while building
community support
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3. What Does Advocacy
Have To Do With It?
• If you don’t speak out on behalf of the library,
why should anyone else?
• As trustees, need to make connections
throughout the community to reinforce library as
an essential service
• Community leaders, elected officials, PTA moms
• Not politicians, advocates
• Advocacy is the tool citizens use in our
democracy to bring about improvements.
What Do Public Votes
Have To Do With It?
• Accountability to the tax payers
• More reliable funding sources
• Taking your case to the public with
coherent, cohesive messages
• Reinforcing your position
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4. Working
Marketing
Branding/
Together
Campaigns
Campaigns Board
Board
Success
Commitment
Commitment
When branding/marketing,
Advocacy
Advocacy
board commitment,
campaigns and advocacy
come together, you will be
successful.
What is Branding?
• Integral part of • Emotional branding:
marketing – Love
• Sets libraries apart – Hate
from other public – Hope
institutions – Fear
• Sum total of all • Libraries give people
attitudes, perceptions hope, a sense of
and beliefs about your community, a long life
library of learning
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5. What is Marketing?
• All activities geared to raising the identity
and use of the library
• Libraries need to market
– Reinforces position as an essential service for
the community
– Reinforces that libraries are very relevant and
haven’t been replaced by the internet
– Positions library to garner community support
for voter initiatives
Marketing 101
• Define mission and programs
• Define audiences: children, adults, seniors,
families, potential donors, opinion leaders,
elected officials, etc.
• Examine strengths and weaknesses
• Define messages and supporting points
• Establish graphic identification—logo—and
graphic standards
• Develop initiatives/campaigns to brand the
library in the community as an essential service
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6. Developing Your Message
• Draw people in on an emotional level
– Appeals to positive emotions of love and hope
• What’s in it for them
• What’s in it for their families, their children
• Speak to people in ways that reflect their
values and show how their values align
with the library’s values
• Always maintaining the “essential service”
theme
Developing Your Message
• Spur residents to action
– Provide them with a sense of ownership
(Yeah, it’s my library!)
• Respect Taxpayers
• Answer negatives by reframing issue
along library’s value system
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7. Examine your strengths &
weaknesses: SWOT session
• INTERNAL • EXTERNAL
– Opportunities
– Strengths
– Threats
– Weaknesses
• EXPLORE
• EXPLORE – Position of the library in
– People the community
• Staff – What values the library
stands for in the
• Board community
• Patrons – What’s important to the
– Programs and community
Services
Exercise
• Mini-SWOT Session
– One value to describe library
– One strength about the people
– One weakness about the people
– One strength about the programs and
services
– One weakness . . .
– How is library viewed?
– What’s important to your community?
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8. Developing Your Message
• Emotional Branding
Love Hate
Hope Fear
Developing Your Message
• VALUES are important!
• Values tell us that an issue matters.
– Draw residents in on an emotional level
– Using emotional branding along with values is
a powerful combination
• Values are the basis of advocacy efforts
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9. Developing Your Message
• Empathy/compassion • Responsibility
• Strength • Protection
• Fairness • Opportunity
• Fulfillment • Freedom
• Education • Community
• Prosperity • Cooperation
• Service • Honesty
• Trust • Creativity
• Open Communication • Equal Opportunity
Developing Your Message
• Values and Emotional Branding
– A great combination
– You define the library, you define the
emotional tie, you define the value
– You communicate forcefully, straightforward,
with conviction and by using the common
everyday language of your values.
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10. Developing Your Message
• In 1992, when James Carville ran Bill Clinton’s
first presidential campaign the following phrase
was on the white board
KISS
Keep It Simple Stupid
Don’t over think.
Remember who your audience is.
Combining Marketing
and Advocacy
• When you know
– what your message is
– how you want to position the library
– how you want the library to be seen
• You can more effectively advocate for the
library
• You can more effectively build community
support and get others to carry your
message for you
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11. Advocacy
• Building relationships with
elected officials and
community leaders
• Understanding your job
• Understanding their job
• Making the library a
political+
• Mobilizing your
constituency
• Getting your message out
You and Your Electeds
• Taxpayers use your library and get one of
the best returns on investment in public
service
• Let your electeds know who you are and
what the library does
• Local, state, national
• Having support from opinion
leaders/community groups will help
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12. You and Your Electeds
• Your job is to educate them on your library and
how they can help to
– Meet community expectations
– Get a bill passed
– Increase funding
– You get the idea
• Have a one-pager developed on your library
• Integrate it into a packet with other library
materials
No Matter What Level
• Remember what Tip O’Neill said:
“ALL POLITICS
IS LOCAL!”
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13. Take Tip’s Tip to Heart
• Bring the library home to your electeds
– Personal stories about their constituents and how
library has made a difference
– Brainstorm with staff, board and stakeholders to
develop
– Personalize the benefits
• Know who they are
– Do a little research—do they have a library card?
– What they’re interested in
– Tie library into pet projects and issues
You and Your Electeds
• Schedule a meeting
• Have a clear agenda
• Know who will do the talking
• Have specific talking points developed
• 10-15 minutes max
• Be prepared to meet with staff
– May be more effective
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14. You and Your Electeds
• Ask, Ask, Ask—persistence pays off
• If answer is no, ask another question
• Let them know who supports the library
• Remember—they’re public servants too
• Follow up with a letter
• Keep the relationship going
– Provide library events s/he would want to
come to
– Make the library a political+
You and Your Electeds
• Organize a campaign
– Letter writing
– Post cards
– Phone calls
– Books-ins
– E-mails/action alerts
– Be creative
– Build momentum--if it doesn’t work one year,
doesn’t mean it won’t work the next
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15. Case Study: Saugerties Public Library
Special Legislative District Public Library, service pop. 19,868
• Needed to raise the identity of the Library
before asking public to vote on a $6.9
million referendum
• SWOT analysis
– Library was important but not as important as
town recreation activities
• Strategy
– Triangulate recreation, make it integral to the
library
Case Study: Saugerties Public
Library
• Rebranded Library
– New slogan
– New look
– New logo
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16. Case Study: Saugerties Public Library
Case Study: Saugerties Public Library
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17. Case Study: Saugerties Public Library
Case Study: Saugerties Public Library
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18. Case Study: Saugerties Public Library
Case Study: Saugerties Public Library
18

19. Case Study: Saugerties Public Library
Case Study: Saugerties Public Library
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20. Case Study: Saugerties Public Library
Case Study: Saugerties Public Library
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21. Case Study: Saugerties Public Library
Case Study: Saugerties Public Library
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22. Case Study: Saugerties Public Library
• Saugerties Taxpayers for an Expanded
Library
– Collect petition signatures of names we can
use in brochures and ads
• Will enable you to develop
– Supporters
– Volunteers
– E-mail lists
Case Study: Saugerties Public Library
• Voter Contact
– Three rounds of phone banking
• Round One: ID voters
• Round Two: ID voters, talk to undecideds
previously identified
• Round Three: Reminder calls Monday and
Tuesday before vote
• Round Four: GOTV calls days of vote
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23. Case Study: Saugerties Public Library
• Public Relations
– Web site:
http://www.thenewsaugertieslibrary.org/
– Placing stories in weeklies
– Letters to the Editor
• Developed talking points that people used
• Maintained message in their own voice
– Public Presentations
The Path to a
21st Century Library
What the May 7th Vote
Is All About.
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24. An Original Carnegie Library
• Built in 1915, the footprint of the
Saugerties Public Library hasn’t changed
• But, the use of the library has
Side of
Library Building
Washington Ave.
These stats come from
2007 Usage your annual report.
• 5,468 people attended 317 programs
• 84,552 patron visits to the library
• 8,453 registered patrons
• 105,630 items circulated
• Public computer used 10,202 times
• Library open 48 hours/week
• All done within 4,650 sq. ft.
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25. 4,650 sq. ft. = Space constraints
• Every time we add to the collection,
something has to come off the shelves
• No real access to local history collection
• People constantly waiting to use public
computers
• Turn away children from story hour
• Can’t meet demands of patrons
• Not meeting ADA requirements
4,650 sq. ft. = Space constraints
• Large programs shut down access to the
library
• Can only accommodate 50 people safely
• Can’t provide community with meeting
space as other libraries do
• No place for people to work together
• No quiet study area
• No comfortable seating
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26. What the Community Wants.
• Throughout the process, we’ve asked the
community what it wants in a new library
– Stay in the village
– Provide public meeting space
– Expand collections
– Make the building ADA compliant
• Doing all that and more
Discover Your 21st Century Library
• From 4,650 sq. ft. to 13,162 sq. ft.
• From two inaccessible floors, to a fully
accessible building on two floors with
an elevator at street-level entrance
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27. Discover Your 21st Century Library
Family Lodge
Cahill School
Proposed Addition
Present Library
Discover Your 21st Century Library
New New
Building Street-Level
Entrance
93 Washington Ave & 3 Division St.
Were purchased to allow expansion
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28. Discover Your 21st Century Library
• Expanded collection of
books, CDs, DVDs &
audio books
• Periodical reading area
• New and Popular
materials Main Floor
• Local history room
• Quiet study/tutoring
room
Discover Your 21st Century Library
• Expanded children’s
library including a
dedicated story hour
space
• Teens have a space all to
themselves
• Public meeting space that Ground Floor
seats 90 and allows
community activities after
the library is closed
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29. Connect at your 21st Century Library
• Wireless access throughout the building
• Public computers
– 12 on the main floor
– 9 on the ground floor
• Connect with your community
– Use the public meeting space
– Read, study, learn, grow
– Interact with others
Grow Our 21st Century Library
• Wednesday, May 7th, chance to vote for a
$6.995 million bond referendum to finance
the library expansion
• Bonding through the town
– Similar to taking out a mortgage
• All registered voters in Town of
Saugerties are eligible to vote
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30. Grow Our 21st Century Library
Construction, contingencies
and historic preservation: $5,144,513.00
Temporary space
and collection relocation: $44,000.00
Furnishings $355,374.00
Professional and other costs: $1,251,353.00
Site acquisition: $200,000.00
Total: $6,995,240.00
Grow Our 21st Century Library
• For a Saugerties home with an average
assessment of $200,000, taxpayer
responsibility would be $67 per year for at
least 25 years
• For less than $5.60 a month
– An expanded library that will serve our
community for generations
– Restore one of our most
treasured buildings in Saugerties
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31. Grow Our 21st Century Library
• Our commitment is to pursuing grants and
private fund raising to offset cost of project
• Your commitment is to vote on
Wednesday, May 7th
• Polls at the Library
• Open 12 noon to 9 p.m.
• Up to Date info:
www.thenewsaugertieslibrary.org
Case Study: Saugerties Public Library
• Outcome
– 2,084 people voted on Wednesday, May 7th
– 1272 voted yes, 812 voted no.
– The library won its referendum with 63.8% of the vote!
Original 8,300+
Carnegie sq. ft.
Library addition
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32. Stabilizing Your Funding Base
• School District Public Library
• Special Legislative District Public Library
• Association Library District
• 414 Votes
• School Ballot Initiatives
What Is a Public Library District?
• Any public library that
– Obtains a substantial amount (60% or higher) of its
funding through a direct public vote
– Has a Board of Trustees that is publicly elected by
eligible voters within the library’s service area
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33. Upper Hudson Library System
13 Association
Libraries
16 Public
Libraries
(School
District, Leg.
District,
Municipal)
Albany County
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34. Rensselaer County
Your Public Library Options
• School District Public Library
– Service area uses the same boundaries as the school
district
– Created by school district voters
– School District is taxing agent
– Library functions independently
– Elected trustees provide “representation” for taxpayers
– Potential to increase tax base and expand library’s
programs and services
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35. Your Public Library Options
• School District Public Library
– Opportunity to bond for capital projects, place building
referendums on the ballot
– Once established, library sets time and place for any
and all elections
– Simple process for increasing funding through yearly
budget votes
– More stabilized funding
Your Public Library Options
• Special Legislative District Public Library
– Service area is determined by existing library board or
interested community group
– Based on present patron base and/or unserved
neighboring areas
– Municipality is taxing agent
• Functions separately from municipality
– State enabling legislation includes local election to
establish and fund a new library
• Specifies service area and election process
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36. Your Public Library Options
• School District Public Library
– Ability to bond for capital projects
– Elected trustees provide “representation” for taxpayers
Your Public Library Options
• Association Library District
– Substantial amount of operating budget (60%) must
come from municipal or school district ballot (Ch.
259.1.2 of NYS Ed. Law)
– By-laws or charter state that trustees are elected
– Ability to bond for capital projects
– Elected trustees provide “representation” for taxpayers
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37. Your Public Library Options
• Association Library District
– Not part of Civil Service
– May not require a new charter but may require a charter
revision
– Library controls budget process
– More stabilized funding
Benefits of a
Public Library District
• Predictable funding stream
• Enables library to secure additional tax support and
expand its tax base
• Potential to include unserved areas
• Potential to bond for capital projects
• Increases the library’s
– Autonomy
– Accountability
– Community ownership
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38. Funding Options
• Place proposition on a municipal ballot, Chapter
414
– Association Libraries
– Public Libraries serving areas outside official chartered
area
• Place proposition on a school district ballot
– Same
Steps to a Chapter 414 Vote
or Municipal Ballot
• Confirm petition deadline with local board of elections
– Start talking to board of elections months in advance
• Petition drive to put budget on ballot
– Amount of signatures needed is 10% of the number of votes case
in last gubernatorial election
• Review and verify signatures on petitions using voter file
from Board of Elections
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39. Steps to a Chapter 414 Vote
or Municipal Ballot
• Board passes resolution supporting proposition
• Submit petitions to Board of Elections for approval
• Educate the voters on why and how much
• Vote takes place at next general election (November)
– Ballot proposition will be in a separate place on machine
• Municipality collects tax money
Steps to a School District Ballot
• Board passes resolution and sends letter directing
the school district to place a funding proposition on
the ballot
– Include amount to be voted upon
– Make sure proper language is on the ballot
• “Shall the proposition be approved authorizing the Board of
Education of the ______ School District to levy taxes annually
in the amount of $_______ ($XXX,XXX) and to pay over such
monies to the Trustee of the ______ Public Library . . .”
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40. Is It Worth the Risk?
• 90% of public library budgets are approved by
voters each year
• Approval rates for creating new public library
districts exceeds 50%
• Per capita support for libraries with a public vote on
their budgets is twice as high as those that depend
on direct appropriations
How To Move Forward
• Explore the options and make a decision which
must include a clear commitment on the part of the
board to move the process forward
• Notify your local Library System and the Division of
Library Development
• Put together a team that will shepherd the process
and the project
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41. How To Move Forward
• Develop timeline, work back from the date of the
vote
• Figure out what legal and other consultant help
you’ll need
• Develop a budget for the transition project
– Remember, “Vote Yes” materials can not be paid for out
of library funds
How To Move Forward
• Determine the position of the library
– Do you need to rebrand and market to raise the library’s
identity and position as an essential service?
– What are your relationships like with local elected and
appointed officials, community leadership or
organizations?
– How committed is the board?
• What will advocacy efforts be?
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42. How To Move Forward
• Implement marketing campaign
• Advocate for library
– Network and solicit support from officials and community
groups
– Reach out to state legislators, if necessary
• Implement education campaign to explain the why
and how much
• Implement a “Vote Yes” campaign
– Target, organize and Get Out the Vote
Case Study: Grinnell Library
Association Library, chartered to serve the Town of Wappinger,
service pop. 26, 274
• Needed to raise the identity of the library
before going to the public with a 414 vote
– Asking for an additional $24/year or $2/month
• SWOT analysis
– Library has unbelievable customer service
• Strategy
– Establish an I/you/us relationship between the
library and the community
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43. Case Study: Grinnell Library
• Emotional attachment to the present
building
Case Study: Grinnell Library
• Customer Service brand + emotional
attachment to building =
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44. Case Study: Grinnell Library
• When you do a 414, you need to collect
petition signatures
– (10% of the last gubernatorial election)
Petitioning Palm Card
Case Study: Grinnell Library
Posters
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45. Case Study: Grinnell Library
Posters
Case Study: Grinnell Library
Posters
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46. Case Study: Grinnell Library
Postcards
Case Study: Grinnell Library
Weekly
Newspaper
Ads
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47. Case Study: Grinnell Library
• Advocacy
– Reaching out to PTAs
– Reaching out to opinion leaders, elected
officials
• Targeted Vote Yes Direct Mail
• Phone Banking/Voter ID
• Vote to be held on Election Day
Wrap Up
• It is imperative that library • Stabilize funding
positions itself as an – Public library districts
essential service provide more financial
stability Steps to be taken
• Library board members
must act as advocates • Develop campaigns
– Marketing
• Library board must be
– Electoral
100% committed
• Organize for the Vote
• Engage the public and
build support
• Reach out to your
electeds
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