Make the Argument: Building the Case for Library Funding

People say nice things about libraries. Elected officials may think they are good, valuable, or perhaps even essential. But when budgets are tight, those sentiments are not an argument for funding.
City councils, county commissions, legislatures, and voters make choices among competing priorities: libraries, public safety, infrastructure, parks, tax relief, and dozens of other legitimate needs. Library leaders need to do more than describe services or demonstrate that people appreciate them. We need to make a coherent argument for why the library deserves public investment.
A pro-library argument does not require us to become combative, but it does require being willing to argue clearly, positively, and persuasively for the resources our institutions need to succeed.
In this practical session, EveryLibrary’s John Chrastka will present a framework for building affirmative, corrective, and rebuttal arguments about library funding. We will look at how to lay out what is at stake, connect library priorities to community goals, use evidence to make a clear case for action.