This post was written by Executive Board-at-Large Member Diana Rocha.
Meeting with your alder is not as scary as it seems. Showing up in person to your alder’s office is a great way to show your seriousness about library budgets, and it’s an opportunity to invite library workers and constituents from your home ward to show up, too. We’re stronger together. Setting up a meeting can be as simple as sending an email, as shown below.
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Step 1: Find your alder
Home + work ward: Use bit.ly/callmyward to enter your address and find your home and/or work wards, your alder’s office location(s), and their contact info.
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Step 2: Write your alder an email asking for a meeting regarding library funding
Invite workers and/or constituents who live in the ward to join you! We’re stronger in numbers. You may be able to request an in-person or virtual meeting.
Use the script below for ease in planning:
Subject: Meeting about library funding
Hello Alder ____,
Myself, library worker(s) from [branch in ward], and possibly some of your constituents would like to meet to discuss library funding and what your perspective is moving forward. Please let us know if you have any availability next week.
Sincerely,
[YOUR NAME]
TIP: Consider lunchtime appointments or before work on a 12-8 day and see if you can get co-workers to join.
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Step 3: Have the meeting!
What do I say once I get into the meeting?
Alders are deep in budget season, and the best way to talk with them is to keep it simple and hit our talking points. Bottom line: In order to provide our services, We need funding. We need full staffing. We need a full collections budget. What are they going to do about it? What are they willing to do?
Key points:
- In order to provide the services we do for the community, we need full staffing. We cannot afford any more cuts to the library budget. We need you and all of the alders to support raising the library levy in order to save positions in all 50 wards. Will you support raising the library levy?
- In order to maintain our collections budget without cuts, we need you to support the head tax. Will you support the head tax so that big businesses pay their fair share?
- The TIF surplus should go to schools, parks, and libraries. Will you support this?
You’re a library worker and/or supporter. You know why funding the library is important, from the literacy programs to job assistance to after-school programs to programs for seniors that we provide. Speak from your experience and keep it simple! Share 1-2 reasons we need to fully fund libraries and how cuts hurt us.
Find inspiration in short staffing stories, shared by branch and by category, and on our instagram account @afscme1215.
TIP: Bring a notepad to take notes about what the alder says to report back later at bit.ly/1215AlderCall.