Judge Holly Trexler Wins Ten Year Term! Our innovative direct mail coupled with Communication Services' political management team of Libby Post and Sheila Healy shepherded Judge Holly Trexler to victory in the seven-way primary for Albany City Court Judge. Appointed to the bench after an arduous interview process, Trexler had to run for a full ten-year term. Running for one of three open seats, we branded Trexler as the "justice" judge. Every piece of literature, every Facebook post, every vide...

This piece appeared in the September 11, 2017 edition of Library Hotline. My clarion call for library votes is, “It’s not our job to turn out the no voters; it’s only our job to turn out the yes voters!” Sometimes library trustees and leadership volunteers look at me quizzically. I go on to explain that elections are a product of democracy but are not inherently democratic. You need to identify your yes voters and make sure they come out to vote. It’s up to someone else to remind the no vo...

This article appeared in the July edition of Trustee Hotline published by Library Journal. The decision has been made. Your library is going to the ballot for a budget, funding proposition, or  building referendum. You’ve figured out what your message is going to be. Now, the question is—how to communicate with  voters? You’ve got social media (“Using Social Media To Advocate for Libraries,” March 27, 2017 Hotline). You’ve got one-to-one communication—in person and online via email and soc...

Communication Services runs the New York State Animal Protection Federation. As its executive director, Communication Services' President and Strategist in Chief, Libby Post, has been working with state legislators, the NYS Dept. of Agriculture and Markets, animals shelters and animal advocates to establish the first in the nation $5 million capital fund for New York's animal shelters. Below is the press release announcing the success. Responding to the overwhelming need to assist the state...

When you’re putting together an advocacy program for your library, using social media is crucial—it’s one of the easiest ways to reach targeted audiences in or-der to build your base of support and a simple, cost-effective way to reach advocates where they al-ready are. Just about every library has a website and, at least, a Facebook page. Most also use Twitter, YouTube, Pinterest, and/or Instagram. It’s all about deciding which market you want to reach. Social media is straightforward and al...

Libraries are among our greatest resources. Their programs and services are essential to the community. They are the information experts, the place our children learned to read and where we took our first computer class, the hubs of our communities. Every library is a great equalizer—accessible to anyone. Our libraries are the last bastion of our democracy. As you prepare to ask voters to approve funding or bond for a renovation, expansion or the building of a new library or if you need to impac...

Since 2005, Libby Post from Communication Services has worked with dozens of libraries to help them achieve financial stability and sustainability.  A political consultant by training, Post uses her political communication skills to help libraries throughout the country build advocacy programs for funding campaigns. Specializing in library advocacy campaigns, her focus is helping public libraries throughout New York State and around the country wage successful redistricting efforts, budget vo...

A lot has changed since the presidential election. Our national political landscape has done a total 180. Library advocacy at all levels—national, state and local--is going to be as important as ever. You can’t just wait until you’ve got just a few months to organize for a vote or to move your local municipal leaders to increase funding. You’ve got to build your advocacy team before you need it. Trustees, Friends, volunteers and patrons already have an affinity for your library. Turn that com...

When it comes to advocating for your library, having someone other than the library director or trustees carrying your message speaking out for you is incredibly effective. Local elected officials and the general public expect library staff and trustees to be positive. They don’t necessarily expect your neighbor or friend or the president of the local chamber of commerce to carry your library’s advocacy message. At the Rockville Public Library in Vernon, CT, our advocacy goal is to increase t...

In the summer of 2014, Communication Services' president, Libby Post, went to Stockton, CA through a library advocacy grant provided by United For Libraries, to work with the library folks there on a voter initiative. We trained, we talked, we planned for 4 days. Those 4 days turned into a tremendous grassroots efforts that culminated in an overwhelming win for Stockton's library. Congrats to the Yes on M committee.