What an amazing book! This book introduced me to aspects of library funding campaigns that I had never thought of. The book is based on the US system of attaining the ‘vote’ or ‘ballot’ for library funding. However, it is still a useful manual for Australian and New Zealand libraries and their associations who are looking to gain funding at the local government or national level.
This book is not a ‘lay low and accept your fate’ book nor a manual on ways to ask, ‘please, sir, can I have some more?’ This book is the Art of War for libraries; a practical, detailed guide on how to run a library funding campaign, from the beginning to the end.
From the beginning, the reader has an idea of what type and tone of advice is to come: ‘when it comes down to a handful of votes in some close races and when that handful is not in your library’s favour, that is not a loss. That is a failure on the part of your campaign.’
The authors, Chrastka and Sweeney, have a lot of experience and advice to share in this book, both having worked in EveryLibrary – a US national organisation dedicated to political action to protect public funding for libraries of all types (www.everylibrary.org). Chrastka was the founder of EveryLibrary and Sweeney is its current political director. Both have been named Mover & Shaker in recent years by the Library Journal and it is easy to see why. Their passion for advocacy for funding for libraries comes through in this book.
In chapter one, Chrastka and Sweeney take the reader through the campaign time line working backwards from ballot Election Day to a year before. From chapter two onwards, the activities necessary for a successful campaign are fleshed out – steps that need to be taken, people who need to be on-board with you, the case for schmoozing and surfacing, power mapping your networks, building and sorting out your committee, budget, canvassing, working with the media and how to make the best use of volunteers are all detailed.
The darker side of campaigning has its own chapter. The topics, such as responding to the opposition and ways to counter their arguments, and collecting intelligence on the opposition, highlight an area that tends to be overlooked. Surely everyone loves libraries? Apparently not. Not when extra tax or money is required from the local government/state budget.
The authors end the book by stating that a winning campaign is not a defensive one. To win the funding campaign, it is a matter of developing your library’s own brand and narrative. This book is a manual on how to do this well. Many of the campaign methods and processes can be applied to Australasian libraries. I would recommend this book to both public and special libraries as a manual to secure funding and survival.