from advocates to activists

Advocates to Activists

Patrick “PC” Sweeneypcsweeney.com EveryLibrary.com

@pcsweeney @everylibrary

Libraryland Ecosystem

Building voter support for libraries

EveryLibrary’s Successes

Building voter support for libraries

Why Talk in Terms of Voters

Building voter support for libraries

Getting Our Numbers Up

Building voter support for libraries

Civic Attitudes

● 94% of Parents say libraries are important for their children. 79% say “very important”. 2

● 58% of Americans have a library card. 3

● 62% of card holders have visited the library in the last year at least once.4

2. Pew, May 2013

3 and 4. Harris Interactive | ALA, January 2011

Building voter support for libraries

Voter Attitudes

Nationwide, of all voters:

37% will Definitely vote yes for the library37% will Probably vote yes for the library

26% will Probably or Definitely vote no or may vote either way.

Building voter support for libraries

Party Affiliation Doesn’t Matter

Building voter support for libraries

Library Card Stats Don’t Matter

Building voter support for libraries

Library Use Doesn’t Matter

Building voter support for libraries

What Does Matter

Building voter support for libraries

What influences politics?

Building voter support for libraries

What can we get?

Building voter support for libraries

Advocate Activist

Traditional model

www.pcsweeney.com

Community Organizing model

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Ladder of Engagement

Building voter support for libraries

DATA!!Building voter support for libraries

The P Word

Building voter support for libraries

Surfacing Your Campaign

Building voter support for libraries

Guiding Principle: The Haycock Rule

Building voter support for libraries

Guiding Principle: Dred Pirate Roberts

Building voter support for libraries

Library’s Theme

Building voter support for libraries

Library’s Messages

Building voter support for libraries

What we say about ourselves

What they say about us

What we say about them

What they say about

themselvesBuilding voter support for libraries

Power Mapping

Staying on MessageBuilding voter support for libraries

It’s a numbers game

Building voter support for libraries

Handling Opposition

Handling Opposition Online

Building voter support for libraries

Get to Know Your Local politicians

Get to know your local influencers

Give them a place on the field

Rally them Around your Cause

Create Events

Write Letters

Facebook

Building voter support for libraries

Building voter support for libraries

Face-To-Face

Building voter support for libraries

What Do We Need?

Political LibrariansPatrick “PC” Sweeney

pcsweeney.com EveryLibrary.com@pcsweeney @everylibrary