Mohawk Valley Library System

Category: Advocacy

  • Free Webinar – NY State’s Budget and You : A Primer on Libraries and the State Budget Process

    Date: Wednesday, September 21, 2022
    Time: 12:00 PM – 1:30 PM
    Place: Online at https://www.wnylrc.org/workshops/466
    Presenters: Ken Stone, Briana McNamee
    Cost: Free

    Does it sometimes feel as if State Aid for Libraries is a mystery until it pops out of the oven on April 1st each year? Would you like to know more about how the cake is baked? What’s in the mix? When are good times to add yeast and turn up the heat? In this noontime webinar we’ll explore:

    • How the economy affects the size of the State’s revenue pie each year;
    • How the State funding pie is sliced and where Libraries fit in;
    • Following the State Budget Calendar to time and target advocacy;
    • Finding State Library Aid in the Governor’s Proposed Operating and Capital Budgets;
    • Following the Legislative process – timing and importance of Senate and Assembly “one-house” budget resolutions
    • Quickly finding the result in the Adopted Budget Bills

    Registration is required. All registrants will receive the link one day prior to the event date

  • Free Webinar – Fundraising Beyond the Book Sale

    Date: Thursday, April 22, 2021
    Time: 4:00 PM – 5:00 PM
    Place: Online at https://tinyurl.com/twrr9x8
    Presenters: Rebecca Fuss, Kathy Shay, Jenny Goodmote
    Cost: Free to MVLS libraries (select CDLC as your ESLN Council when registering)

    The Central New York Library Resources Library Council and the Friends of Libraries Section of the New York Library Association are happy to present this special program regarding library fundraising this Earth Day 2021!

    Looking for some best practices for fundraising that can be implemented within pandemic safety guidelines?  When you cannot gather crowds at large-scale book sales, are there other creative projects and tactics your Friends and foundation can undertake?   Rebecca Fuss of the Friends & Foundation of the Rochester Public Library will discuss annual appeals, donor relations, peer-to-peer fundraising, and other community-wide donation efforts that provide a good return on the investment of your time.  Jenny Goodemote and Kathy Shay of Wood Library in Canandaigua will share the details of their “knock-out” fundraiser, Pursapalooza, a sale of purses, jewelry, artwork, and more.  Organized by a committee of trustees, this in-person annual event morphed into an online store of designer handbags in November 2020.  Until large-scale book sales can resume once more, strengthening connections with long-time supporters and adapting the library’s profitable fundraisers is the name of the (socially distant) game!

    Learning Objectives

    After the webinar, attendees will be able to:

    • Adapt previous fundraising techniques to better fit today’s environment.
    • Communicate with either your Friends group or Board of Trustees about the future of library fundraising.
    • Identify best practices for connecting with your community and communicating your needs to them.
    • Begin planning your own library fundraiser using one or more suggestions from our presenters.
    • Evaluate online platforms for virtual, in-person, and hybrid fundraising events.
    • Expand your ability to reframe and organize library fundraisers.

  • Free Webinar – Cultivating Community Support for Library Funding

    Date: Tuesday, February 09, 2021
    Time: 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM
    Place: Online at tinyurl.com/yxmpu9dg
    Presenter: Patrick Sweeney, EveryLibrary Political Director
    Cost: Free

    Political power and influence comes from only two resources: people and money. Without at least one of these, your library will not have the influence it needs in the community to encourage local legislators to support your library. And when the time comes, you’ll lack the community support needed to advocate for your library.

    In this webinar session we’ll focus on the strategies and tactics that you can use to increase the number of library supporters in your community. We’ll talk about tools you can use to reach library supporters and non-users in order to encourage them to take action for your library. Many of these tools are either free or inexpensive and the underlying strategies that we use can be applied to libraries of all sizes and budgets. At the end of this session, you’ll be able to increase your email list, make meaningful contact with non-users, and cultivate potential supporters into action.

    Please register for this event at the link above.

    Also check out the two titles in the MVLS professional collection that Patrick has authored – Winning Elections and Influencing Politicians for Library Funding, and Before the Ballot : Building Political Support for Library Funding, co-authored with John Chrastka.

  • Free Webinar – Proactive Advocacy and Communication for Library Trustees and Staff

    Date: Wednesday, January 13, 2021
    Time: 3:00 PM – 4:00 PM
    Place: Online at https://www.webjunction.org/events/webjunction/proactive-advocacy-communication-library-trustees-staff.html
    Presenter: Lori Fisher
    Cost: Free

    Rally the troops, consolidate the message, and get it out there! These common and important steps are all part of the response when there’s a crisis challenging the library. But what can we do the rest of the time, before a crisis arises? Using both outward and inward facing tools, there are simple steps that boards and library staff can integrate into their communication processes, to be better prepared for unknown changes. Learn about these tools and how they can set the stage for dealing more effectively with any crisis your library faces in the future.

    This webinar is hosted in collaboration with the Association for Rural and Small Libraries (ARSL).

    Please register for this event at the link above. You can access recordings of past WebJunction Webinars here.

  • Free Webinar – What’s Your E? : The E’s of Libraries

    Date: Tuesday, September 24, 2019
    Time: 2:00 PM – 3:00 PM
    Place: Online at https://tinyurl.com/y2w3ybkx
    Presenters: Alan Fishel, Charity Tyler, Paula Miller
    Cost: Free

    You know that your library is vital to your community, but how do you communicate its importance to elected officials, community leaders, funders, and other key stakeholders? How can you talk about what your library does using their language? Learn how to use The E’s of Libraries® – Education, Employment, Entrepreneurship, Empowerment, and Engagement – to demonstrate why your library is essential.

    United for Libraries Board Member Alan Fishel will discuss the concept of The E’s of Libraries® and how to overcome the “reality-perception” gap that comes with library advocacy. Charity Tyler, Executive Director fo the Cedar Rapids (Iowa) Public Library Foundation and United for Libraires board member, will discuss how to apply The E’s to your library and Foundation. Paula Miller, Director of the Baltimore County (Maryland) public Library, will discuss how her library uses The E’s of Libraries, and how it was used for Maryland Library Legislative Day.

    If you cannot attend live, a recording will be sent to all registrants following the live webinar.