Great River Regional Library
Library Advocacy

Introduction:

This Great River document focuses on the need for increasingly more sophisticated legislative advocacy on behalf of libraries and the millions of people who depend on them. It is designed to help library advocates be effective in today’s volatile, bottom-line oriented and complex political environment. The techniques and messages described can be used at the local, state and national levels.

This is a critical time for library advocacy. Decisions are being made at all levels of government about funding, copyright, telecommunications, intellectual freedom and other policy issues that will shape libraries and public access to information.

The Great River Regional Library System

The Library Board—Benton, Morrison, Sherburne, Stearns, Todd and Wright Counties provide the governing body of Great River—a Board of County Commissioners and citizen representatives from the six member counties. The Library Director and other administrative staff are housed at headquarters in the library at St. Cloud.
The Great River Region—There are currently 32 libraries located across the region—each one a member of Great River. The individual cities provide the facilities for the library while Great River provides the staff and materials necessary.
Funding—(1) Great River receives operational funds from the six member counties. Shares of local operating funds are prorated to the six members by a three-part formula. One-third of the required funding is assessed on a per capita basis; one-third of the required funding is assessed on the basis of percentage of total system patron registration for the previous calendar year; and one-third of the required funding is based upon net tax capacity. (2) Great River also receives “basic system support” through the Minnesota Department of Education. (3) Great River receives some federal funding for telecommunication lines, statewide databases, and delivery for inter-library loan materials. Local investment is approximately $16 per capita.
Library Users—More than 112,000 individuals in the six-county area possess library cards. Materials are shared and routed throughout the system. We have more than 800,000 items and many of them are routed from library to library.
Efficiencies—(1) Centralized purchasing can create discounts of up to 50%. (2) Centralized cataloging and purchasing save on the cost of each item and on staff time. (3) Our online catalog is shared by all libraries and all library patrons. (4) Our centralized technology department maintains all equipment and ensures compatibility and efficiency across the system.

Shaping the Message

Library advocates must adapt to a changed and not always sympathetic political and social environment. Our elected officials need to understand the role of libraries in the 21st century. Key messages include:

  • The important federal and state leadership role in library funding
  • The significance of libraries in policy based issues ranging from intellectual property to intellectual freedom; and
  • The relatively modest amount of federal and state dollars that result in huge national benefits.

Framing the Message

To be effective, library advocates must present themselves as credible with a working knowledge of the political process and their role in it. Library advocates must be able to address library issues in ways that transcend partisan politics, that acknowledge economic realities, and that position libraries as part of the solution to larger problems such as those related to literacy, workforce production, and crime.

Examples:

  • Libraries are cultural and economic assets. For example, Minnesota’s universities, four-year colleges and community colleges provide opportunities to pursue post-secondary degrees and continuing education for adults at all stages of their lives and careers. Their libraries support these programs and complement public library services and collections in communities large and small throughout the state. Everyone reaps the economic benefits of our investments both in basic research and scholarship and in an educated and highly skilled workforce of all ages that can function successfully in a dynamic economy, which continuously requires new skills and knowledge. By freely sharing their collections with one another, libraries preserve and promote our history and culture among students and readers everywhere.
  • Libraries are community assets. Libraries are the preeminent self-help organizations. Providing access to information for poor, minority, immigrant and rural populations is a critical issue. Local libraries are information resource centers for education, employment and recreation. Whether offering traditional formats, like books and periodicals, or computer-linked databases, libraries serve the whole community.
  • Kids are everybody’s tomorrow. Children are a bipartisan issue, and much policy debate is centered on the impact that legislation will have on the next generation. Given the choice, most parents would rather have their children actively engaged with the many resources available in a library than watching television or involved in other less productive pastimes. Our role is to help prepare children to live, work and govern in the 21st century.