Consultants for Libraries welcomed Patrick “PC” Sweeney on Thursday, April 30, 2026, for an engaging webinar on the advocacy mistakes that continue to hold libraries back. His presentation, Everything Wrong with Library Advocacy, was packed with provocative ideas, practical urgency, and hard truths about the political environment libraries are operating in today.
After wathcing the session, I wanted to share a few takeaways that especially resonated with me — along with some connections to topics I’ve written about before.
1. Libraries need to be honest about the challenges they face.
Patrick made the case that the current environment for libraries is more serious than many of us acknowledge. Book bans, anti-library legislation, antagonistic boards, privatization efforts, culture war attacks, and federal threats are not isolated challenges. They are part of a broader environment in which libraries are being questioned, challenged, and, in some cases, actively undermined.
This resonated with something I wrote about in my white paper, Navigating Unstable Library Funding in an Uncertain World: don’t hide the pain. When libraries absorb cuts quietly, defer maintenance, reduce collections, or stretch staff beyond capacity without explaining the impact, stakeholders may not understand what is truly at stake. As I wrote in the white paper, transparency builds trust, and libraries should communicate the facts clearly without pointing fingers.
2. Library funding depends on voter support.
One of Patrick’s central points was that library funding is political, whether we are comfortable saying that or not. More than 90% of U.S. public library operating funding comes from local tax receipts, which means libraries need voter support if they want to stay open and well funded.
That does not mean libraries should be partisan. In fact, Patrick made a clear distinction between being political and being partisan. But it does mean libraries need to understand voters as an essential audience. In marketing and communications terms, voters are not just members of the general public. They are funding stakeholders.
3. Libraries are not always operating in a good-faith debate.
Patrick emphasized that many of the challenges facing libraries are not simply misunderstandings that can be corrected with better facts. In his view, many opponents of libraries are highly organized, well-funded, data-driven, and skilled at activating supporters.
That makes it even more important for libraries and library supporters to build their own relationships, networks, and capacity for action. It also reinforces the importance of knowing your audiences. What do they value? What concerns them? How do they perceive the library’s role? These are the kinds of questions I also emphasize when helping libraries communicate with internal, external, and funding audiences.
4. Moments of crisis can also be moments of opportunity — if you are prepared.
Another takeaway that stayed with me was Patrick’s point about crisis. When public attention is high, libraries need to be ready to move quickly: collect names, invite action, raise funds, ask supporters to show up, and build the infrastructure needed for future advocacy. Waiting too long can mean missing the moment when people are most engaged and most willing to help.
This is where crisis communications planning becomes essential. A crisis communications plan does not just help a library respond calmly and consistently; it also helps the library act while attention is still focused. If you have already identified audiences, messages, decision-making roles, approval processes, and communication channels, you are much better positioned to respond quickly and strategically.
That is one reason I have created on-demand crisis communications training focused on helping libraries prepare before they are in the middle of a high-pressure situation.
5. Marketing and advocacy are connected, but they are not the same thing.
Patrick stated clearly that marketing does not equal advocacy. At first, that might sound like it contradicts some of what I say about library marketing, but I actually think it aligns closely. I believe that it is not enough for libraries to do great work; they also have to tell people about that work in ways that are meaningful to specific audiences. Marketing is how we encourage external audiences to use and value the library. Advocacy is how we encourage funding stakeholders to invest in the library.
Some libraries may need to be careful with the word “advocacy” for local or political reasons. But telling the library’s story to funding stakeholders in ways that resonate with their needs, values, and priorities can accomplish many of the same goals.
Consultants for Libraries has generously made the recording available, along with the slides. If you are interested in learning more about advocacy, I recommend giving this webinar a watch!
