Budget Advocacy 2024: No Cuts to Libraries
The New York Public Library
Innovation Synopsis
In spring 2024, NYC’s public libraries (BPL, NYPL, and QPL, known as “Tri-Li”) executed an innovative, multi-platform budget advocacy campaign that generated unprecedented support from patrons, took control of the City budget conversation, and resulted in full restoration of library funding. At a time when public libraries and the freedom to read are under attack nationwide, Tri-Li partnered on a months-long advocacy campaign leveraging public communications channels, in-person rallies and events, and relationships with elected officials, staff, and the public to spotlight the critical role libraries play in our communities and to generate attention and support. One innovation was an ambitious social strategy using creative memes, which the Council’s Libraries Chair lauded as “iconic,” that went viral on social media. The #NoCutsToLibraries campaign resonated with New Yorkers and reached a national audience, demonstrating the power of libraries to activate supporters and effect change.
Challenge/Opportunity
Following a devastating mid-year cut in 2023 which ended seven-day service, and the threat of additional mid-year cuts, NYC libraries were hit with proposed cuts of $58.3M in the City’s FY25 budget. This was the largest potential cut Tri-Li had seen in a decade, and if enacted would’ve meant the loss of universal six-day service in the city, as well as reductions in materials, programs, and maintenance spending. Budget advocacy is an annual effort, so we needed to find fresh approaches to getting our message out that would engage our supporters over a months-long campaign. This also meant we had to keep libraries and library funding at the forefront of public discussion, in the news, and on the minds of city leaders throughout the budget negotiation process. Ultimately, we needed to receive full restoration of the proposed cuts in the final budget and, ideally, for that funding to be in the budget for future years.
Key Elements of Innovation
In addition to tactics we’ve deployed in past budget advocacy efforts— robust email campaign, participation in branches, elected official engagement, and media placements—an innovative approach to social media spread our message to a national audience, engaged high-profile supporters like Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Levar Burton, and Sarah Jessica Parker, and tapped into the public’s deep love of libraries. We took popular meme formats and gave them a public library twist, which delighted and energized our followers. Several memes went viral, with one notching more than 7M views. Our hashtag, #NoCutsToLibraries, trended nationally and locally on our June Day of Action, with 5.9K posts and 21.3K engagements as library lovers across the internet amplified our message. At the same time, with the backing of a donor from NYPL’s Board of Trustees, we ran a one-day multilingual ad campaign in 5 NYC papers on the Day of Action that asked New Yorkers to write to their elected officials.
Achieved Outcomes
In June, NYC public library funding was fully restored in the FY25 budget, thanks largely to our Tri-Li campaign.
- $58.3M in funding restored, most of it baseline.
- Seven-day service resumed fully on August 4.
- 2 library-centric memes got more than 1M views (with one reaching 7M); other posts notched thousands of engagements.
- Our social strategy attracted the attention and support of high-profile celebrities, influencers, and elected officials.
- More than 175K print and online letters to City leaders signed—a record number that smashed our 2015 high of 150K.
- Press coverage included over 80 earned media mentions in national, local, neighborhood, and Spanish-language outlets, with several stories in The New York Times, and major coverage by outlets like WABC, Fox5, WNYC, 1010WINS and Good Day New York on NBC. Highlights include:
- A New York Times article by James Barron
- Whoopi Goldberg on the importance of supporting libraries around the country and shouting out our day of action on The View
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