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

Congress.gov

U.S. Legislators:

capitol-building-239689_1280-2

Advocacy Training

Web Junction – Bite-sized Advocacy:

Community Toolbox (from the University of Kansas):

Web Junction and Pew Internet – Advocacy Tools for Librarians
EdEx MOOC – Library Advocacy UnShushed