Waking Up to Advocacy in a New Political Reality for Libraries
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
10-2017
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
https://doi.org/10.1086/693492
Abstract
The engagement of the US federal government with libraries has been disjointed. Financial support for libraries has been controversial and inconsistent, and many policy decisions have directly affected library operations and activities, particularly those of public libraries. Libraries’ experiences with the federal government offer many lessons about the broad ideological attitude toward—and constraints on—library support before the 2016 election. These lessons have import for all public-sphere institutions as they navigate the even more complicated current environment. This article argues that the best hope for library funding and support is to concentrate efforts at the local and state levels, coordinating efforts and sharing ideas and resources across locations and types of institutions. A national advocacy strategy coordinated across the states will maximize advocacy efforts where we may have a greater chance of success.
Was this content written or created while at USF?
Yes
Citation / Publisher Attribution
The Library Quarterly, v. 87, no. 4, p. 350-368
Scholar Commons Citation
Jaeger, Paul T.; Zerhusen, Erin; Gorham, Ursula; Hill, Renee F.; and Greene Taylor, Natalie, "Waking Up to Advocacy in a New Political Reality for Libraries" (2017). School of Information Faculty Publications. 382.
https://digitalcommons.usf.edu/si_facpub/382
