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Election year 2023 marked a significant moment for libraries on the ballot, with a return to pre-COVID numbers of operating levy renewals and building bonds, but also a marked increase [...]

Anyone involved in public schools has probably heard by now that the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) funds will end in September. The ESSER funds were created to [...]

During COVID-related shutdowns, library boards had a difficult time holding meetings to conduct normal business, let alone engage in the detailed planning and discussions that are necessary before going to [...]

Organizations manifest their value systems through their budgets. When budgets and values align, an organization can focus on solving problems and supporting populations. When budgets are inadequate or not properly [...]

It is important to understand how to engage parents effectively in conversations about school budgets and advocacy for school libraries. The future of school libraries depends on budget decisions that [...]

Earlier this month, the Georgia state senate made national headlines by passing SB 390, a bill that seeks to bar the expenditure of state funds on programs or materials involving [...]

The good news is that fully 94 percent of the operating measures brought to a vote in 2021, along with 77 percent of the building or bond initiatives, passed. However, [...]

Overall, 2019 was a good year for libraries on ballots across the country. Of the 154 library questions identified by Library Journal and EveryL!brary through tracking and post-election research, 124 [...]

The article discusses the impact of the results of election in the U.S. in November 2024 on libraries in the country. Topics include the number of libraries that asked voters to enact, renew, or increase their local taxes for library operations, the failure of several libraries to pass new operating funds, and significant building project wins including a bond for the Roselle Public Library District in Illinois.

Voters spoke, and to a large extent, libraries continued to find support at the ballot box in 2018. After a striking level of wins in 2017, libraries on the ballot [...]

EveryLibrary and LJ tracked a total of 133 library ballot measures across 24 states in 2017. A majority (85) were for operating funds to maintain or expand library programs, staffing, [...]

At EveryLibrary and LJ, we tracked 184 library elections in 2016. Forty-seven were for bonds to update libraries or to build new 21st-century facilities; 68 percent of those measures passed. [...]

This past summer, school librarians in Washington, D.C., scored an important victory. Faced with the prospect of another round of cuts, librarians and their supporters and allies in their communities [...]

Budgets did better on the ballot; buildings, less so. Year-round advocacy and foregrounding librarians are keys to success In 2015, nearly 150 libraries in 24 states held referenda to renew [...]

On the face of it, 2014 looks like it was a pretty good year for libraries at the ballot box: some 148 libraries reporting for this tally won and 42 [...]

The article discusses the results of the journal's Budgets and Funding Survey, sponsored by Baker & Taylor and The Library Corporation (TLCC). Topics include budget changes from 2021 to 2022, important sources of new library funding in 2022, and salary compression and the local prevailing wage as two issues that are perennial management challenges for libraries.

The National Association of State Budget Officers (NASBO) is projecting a 20 percent decline in state tax revenue for FY 2021. In comparison, at the peak of the Great Recession [...]

ARCHITECTS HBM Architects THE CHALLENGE The Manatee County Public Library System has been invited to build the first library in Lakewood Ranch, a 25-year-old planned community that continues to grow [...]

ARCHITECT OPN Architects THE CHALLENGE The Poudre River Public Library District (PRPLD) is evaluating an opportunity to build an anchor library in the as-yet-to-be-developed neighborhood of Montava, on the east [...]

The 2018 'From Awareness to Funding' study should inspire deep reflection within the library community about how we have been doing public outreach, voter engagement, and everyday advocacy over this [...]

The article suggests how U.S. librarians can deal with the end of the Elementary and Secondary School Elementary Relief (ESSER) funds in September 2024. Topics discussed include purpose of the ESSER funds, possible consequences of the end of the funds including budget shortfall, impact on staffing, and increased pressure on state and local sources, and suggestions to prepare for the end of such funds including documenting how funds have been used.

The article reports on the impact of elections on library budgets in 2018. It includes the passage of budgets at 79% including operating funds and building bonds, referenda regarding taxation to pay for libraries, and coalitions that formed to help increase votes for funding.

ARCHITECT Ratio | Humphries Poli Architects THE CHALLENGE The Sedona Public Library is evaluating a significant overhaul of the interior of its historic library to re-engage the community and reframe [...]

The article discusses the importance of involving parents in conversations about school budgets and advocacy for school libraries. Topics include the role of budget decisions in the future of school libraries, factors that influenced parental involvement in education, and advice when talking to parents about the library budget.

The article focuses on the voting in libraries in states of Michigan, Ohio, and New York with members being asked to renew operating levels. Topics include cost of buildings and constructions which has increased, not much difference in the results of primary and general election ballot, and an effect of the presidential elections of 2016 on the library voting system.

This is the first installment of a new monthly column in which EveryLibrary staff will outline how political candidates succeed--and why librarians need to take a leaf from their book [...]

What's one of the library's most overlooked campaign assets? Teen advisory groups (TAGs). As we enter another political season, we should recognize Election Day as the single largest fundraising opportunity [...]

Legislative attacks on state library associations are on the rise, with proposed bills and restrictions seeking to prohibit states and municipalities from financially engaging with library associations. These attacks threaten the financial sustainability of state library associations, which play a vital role in supporting literacy and access to books and information. Advocates argue that these actions are targeting the ability of library associations to conduct business and may have broader implications for professional associations in general. They suggest that a restraint of trade action rooted in the Constitution's commerce clause may be a powerful cause of action to challenge these attacks. [Extracted from the article]

A boisterous group of teens, children, parents, and supporters rocked out August 26 at the Baldwin Public Library in Birmingham, Michigan, with indie band The High Strung, the last stop [...]

The article describes the design challenges posed by the Sedona Public Library in Arizona, as well as the suggestions made by a group led by Ratio/Humphries Poli Architects to resolve the challenges during the Design Institute held in Colorado Springs, Colorado in September 2019.

The article offers information on challenges faced by the school librarians in Washington, D.C., U.S., regarding their future. Topics discussed include advocacy campaign by librarians and their supporters and allies in their communities; reassigning of school librarians from school administrators to teach classes or to support other COVID-19 pandemic impacted learning needs; and supporting librarians with funding from the American Rescue Plan Act and support by the Washington Teachers Union.

In this article the author opines that library has a natural role in supporting every growing, vibrant, and successful community. Topics include nonprofit social welfare organization EveryLibrary stated to help public, school, and college libraries win bonding, tax, and advisory referendum, ensuring stable funding and access to libraries for generations to come and library should also be marketed as the anchor to the "livability index" of the community.

The article focuses on John Chrastka, executive director and founder of EveryLibrary, a registered Political Action Committee (PAC), and his role in the campaigns of the PAC to secure public funding for libraries in the U.S.

The article suggests that public libraries should dream big with ideas for approaching library development like a start-up business to spur innovation and growth. Topics discussed include overcoming barriers to innovation. Also mentioned are how to get libraries funded like a start-up, how to grow like a business accelerator and how to budget for research and development (R&D).

The article explores several ways for nonprofit organizations to improve their communication. Topics discussed include packing electronic-mail signatures with useful information, identifying people in group photo, creating effective front-page coverage, showcasing new employees, sharing information on social media, and blogging about fundraising campaign success.