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CHICAGO — Library funding is political. And the struggle to secure funding is ongoing; the work that librarians need to do to influence local politics doesn't just pop up in the few months before Election Day. It should span the years before or between elections. John Chrastka and Patrick “PC” Sweeney’s new book “,” published by 91��ý Neal-Schuman, speaks directly to librarians, library staff, and boards. It is designed to help library leaders understand and navigate the political nature of their work in the years leading up to a ballot measure or political initiative. Sharing the tools and tactics developed by their organization , the nation’s first and only Political Action Committee for Libraries, in this book they:

• discuss how the day-to-day work of librarians, their communications with the public, and their roles and responsibilities in the community can help increase the willingness of public and local elected officials to support funding libraries through taxes;
• guide readers through the practical side of running a public-facing Informational Communications Campaign for their library before Election Day;
• explain the concept of surfacing, the important groundwork of occupying a strong and positive space in the community during the years before and between ballot measures;
• demonstrate why surfacing is one of the most crucial steps a library can take to build and maintain support;
• share the most recent data insights into voter attitudes about libraries and librarians;
• show how libraries can coordinate internally to build new external partners;
• offer advice on finding, activating, and holding onto supporters; and
• discuss the path to the ballot with practical insights about how to get onto the ballot.

This book is available along with the authors’ previous book “” as part of a specially-priced .

Chrastka is EveryLibrary's founder and is a longtime library trustee, supporter, and advocate. He is a former partner in AssociaDirect, a Chicago-based consultancy focused on supporting associations in membership recruitment, conference, and governance activities. He is a former president and member of the Board of Trustees for the Berwyn (Illinois) Public Library (2006–2015) and is a former president of the Reaching Across Illinois Libraries System (RAILS) multi-type library system. He was named a 2014 Mover & Shaker by Library Journal and tweets . Sweeney is the current political director for EveryLibrary. He is a former administrative librarian of the Sunnyvale (California) Public Library and was executive director of EveryLibrary California, a statewide ballot committee to support library ballot propositions. He is active across library social media as a cofounder of the 91��ý Think Tank. His library blog is well respected, and he is a sought-after speaker and presenter. He was named a 2015 Mover & Shaker by Library Journal and tweets at .

purchases fund advocacy, awareness and accreditation programs for library professionals worldwide. 91��ý Editions and 91��ý Neal-Schuman publishes resources used worldwide by tens of thousands of library and information professionals to improve programs, build on best practices, develop leadership, and for personal professional development. 91��ý authors and developers are leaders in their fields, and their content is published in a growing range of print and electronic formats. Contact 91��ý Editions at (800) 545-2433 ext. 5052 or editionsmarketing@ala.org.

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