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While it may feel like the 2012 Presidential election cycle was not that long ago, we are already getting into the thick of the 2014 election cycle. Regardless of whether the decision-makers are at the federal, state, or local levels, they will be in a position to impact libraries. Thus, the questions for library supporters must be “which candidates actually care about libraries, and which are willing to put forward a plan of action to improve library services?”
Over the past several weeks, decision-makers inside of the Capital Beltway in Washington, DC, have turned their attention to the federal budgeting process for FY 2015.President Barack Obama and Republican leaders in the U.S. House of Representatives have released starkly different visions for what our nation should be spending money on.
One of the most challenging tasks for grassroots advocacy is in finding data to justify the relative importance of the cause one seeks to promote. In speaking with federal, state, and local legislators about a wide array of good causes, invariably the elected official will ask something like this: “how do I know that folks living in my area actually care about … [insert name of cause here].” Thankfully, for library advocates, a wonderful source of data measures is available to help quantify the actual degree to which the public at-large truly values public libraries.
Who would have thought that the United States Congress—after a year filled with gridlock and subsequent political inertia—would end up giving the American people a gift just before Christmas week? As of last week, comprehensive legislation finalizing the federal budget for fiscal year 2014 received final passage from both the Senate and the U.S. House of Representatives. While generally modest in scope, the mere fact that a piece of fiscal legislation garnered the support of key Democrats and Republicans in Congress represents a significant achievement.
In spite of the gridlock associated with the U.S. Congress, state legislatures across America are presently hard at work. Like many, my home state of Maryland is currently grappling with a series of complex and controversial issues, many of which impact libraries.
Libraries need more vocal advocates than ever. It seems clear that trustees, as some of a library system’s more visible volunteers, need to make their voices heard with regard to advocacy as well.