Statewide Advocacy toolkit

What’s on this page

• Quick Hits and Talking Points
• In the news
• Our response, and branding
• What you need to know about advocacy for nonprofits
• Impact on Wisconsin library users and libraries
• Talking points
• Samples
  • Kenosha Public Library press release
• Social media graphics and recommended text
• Additional printables and templates
• Media coverage
• Resource list
• What libraries are doing
• Who to contact about this page

Our response

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SRLAAW is currently working with the Library System Marketing Cohort to put together a statewide advocacy campaign to inform the public and give them the tools they need to speak up for libraries.

1. Postcard campaign, which will launch no later than April 15. 
2. Ongoing social media assets for libraries to use.
3. Recommended esources and messaging to make it easier to focus our communications statewide.
4. Updates on what’s happening.

What you need to know about nonprofit advocacy

Your library probably receives public funding from your municipality, the state, and the federal government. Organizations receiving tax dollars may not engage in partisan political activity of any kind, so libraries need to be extremely careful when discussing specific ballot measures or candidates.  

Your Friends of the Library group is probably organized as a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization. These organizations are also prohibited from directly or indirectly engaging in any political campaign on behalf of any candidate, making public statements for or against a candidate, or making contributions to political campaign funds. Any organization that does so risks the revocation of their tax-exempt status. Friends groups should be aware of this when assisting with any ballot measures or elections related to the library.  

You can:

• participate in activities like voter education, voter registration, and get-out-the-vote drives as long as they are conducted in a non-partisan manner; 
• educate the public about library issues, and the impact they will have on them and their library;
• encourage people to vote (but you cannot tell people how to vote);
• encourage people to contact their elected officials (but not tell them what to say).

Impact on Wisconsin library users

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Talking points

• Value to Wisconsin residents (efficient and popular services that help Wisconsinites every day.)
• Accountability and transparency (Emphasize that IMLS funding is controlled locally at the state level.) We are good custodians for your tax dollars.
• Rural and small communities disproprotionately harmed by IMLS funding cuts (this is a critical demographic)

Wisconsinites love being able to get a book from almost anywhere in the world delivered to the local library, and we borrowed over 14 MILLION books that way last year, making Wisconsin residents the biggest book borrowers per capita in the US!

What you might not know is that service is funded in part by IMLS, the smallest government agency you’ve never heard of. Block grants give states direct oversight for how their funding is used, and in Wisconsin it supports this popular service.

IMLS funding is at risk. Speak up for libraries!

IMLS funding helped make it possible for Wisconsin public libraries to provide services like Interlibrary Loan. That’s when you can borrow a book not available at MORE (insert your name here) from almost anywhere.  

The entire IMLS annual budget costs each taxpayer less than a cup of coffee from Kwik Trip. Speak up for you library! Support continuing funding and outreach for IMLS: link to landing page

“quote from your system/library” 

Wisconsinites love their libraries,. Library services are an effective use of limited resources that support all of our communities (or rural communities-depending on your system). IMLS funding supports our state’s commitment to delivering high-quality public library services to every Wisconsin resident.

Ask congress to put IMLS back to work for us. Link to page

The Department of Public Instruction created an infographic about LTSA/IMLS funding.

Available as a pdf.