Public, school and academic libraries are more often than not funded with soft money. This means their administrations must request funds annually from their city government, their school board or some other administrative body charged with administering tax and/or tuition monies. In times of tight budgets, library staff, patrons and trustees must advocate for local, state or federal funds. Listed below are resources on advocating for libraries.
Minnesota Legislature and Advocacy Resources
Minnesota Library Association – Advocacy Legislation
Minnesota Library Association Legislative Committee
Minnesota Legislature
Minnesota Polling Place Finder
Minnesota Statues on Libraries:
Chapter 134 – Public and Multitype Library Systems
134.20 – Regional Library Systems
134.351 – Multitype Library Systems
House Districts in the Prairielands area:
- 16A – map (Lac qui Parle, Lyon, Redwood, Yellow Medicine)
- 16B – map (Redwood, Renville)
- 17A – map (Chippewa, Kandiyohi, Renville, Swift)
- 17B – map (Kandiyohi)
- 18B – map (McLeod, Sibley)
- 22A – map (Lincoln, Lyon, Murray, Nobles, Pipestone, Rock)
- 22B – map (Cottonwood, Jackson, Nobles, Rock)
- 23A – map (Cottonwood, Jackson, Redwood)
Senate Districts in the Prairielands area:
- 16 – map (Lac qui Parle, Lyon, Redwood, Renville)
- 17 – map (Chippewa, Kandiyohi, Renville, Swift)
- 18 – map (McLeod, Meeker, Sibley)
- 22 – map (Cottonwood, Jackson, Lincoln, Lyon, Murray, Nobles, Pipestone, Redwood, Rock)
- 23 – map (Jackson)
League of Minnesota Cities
National League of Cities
Minnesota Council of Nonprofits – Public Policy and Advocacy Resources
National Library Advocacy Resources
American Library Association
- YALSA – National Library Legislative Day
- Association of College and Research Libraries – Advocacy
- Public Libraries Association – Advocacy
- American Association of School Libraries – Advocacy
- Association for Library Service to Children – Everyday Advocacy
- United for Libraries – Advocacy
U.S. Legislators:
Advocacy Training
Web Junction – Bite-sized Advocacy:
Community Toolbox (from the University of Kansas):
- Principles of Advocacy
- Conducting Advocacy Research
- Providing Encouragement and Education
- Conducting a Direct Action Campaign
- Media Advocacy
- Responding to Counter Attacks
Web Junction and Pew Internet – Advocacy Tools for Librarians
EdEx MOOC – Library Advocacy UnShushed