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Background
The New Rochelle Public Library was in dire straits in 2003
after voters rejected not one, but two budget votes the year
before. After the first budget failed miserably in June 2002,
a second quickly arranged vote with more polling sites received
only 46 percent of favorable votes. The library funding had
become a highly divisive, polarized issue in New York State's
seventh largest city.
Facing the near-certain closure of the library if another
budget vote failed, the New Rochelle Public Library Foundation
sought Douglas Gould and Company's assistance for a campaign
to help inform the public of the devastating financial situation
the library faced, and ultimately win voter approval for the
proposed library budget.
Approach
After conducting a telephone poll of 500 registered voters,
Douglas Gould and Company identified that the problem was not
the library itself, but the way the issues were presented
to the voters. The discussion would have to be re-framed in
order to win support for the library budget.
An important part of the strategy involved training a cadre
of advocates to represent the library to the public and to
answer tough questions from citizens. Advocates put their
new skills to good use in 50 community meetings that alerted
the public to the budget vote and provided an accurate account
of the history surrounding the situation. Two large rallies
were held in the community, garnering significant media attention.
Results
By developing clear and effective messages, writing and designing
print materials, and launching a web site dedicated to providing
clear information on the library budget issues, Douglas Gould and Company was able to reach journalists, registered voters,
parents and children with accurate information about the issues
surrounding the library vote.
Douglas Gould and Company generated media attention in the
national edition of the New York Times and Associated
Press, features, columns and editorials in the Journal
News, the Standard Star and other local publications,
coverage on WCBS-TV, WABC-TV, News 12 Westchester, WCBS-AM,
1010 WINS-AM, WFAS-AM and WVOX-AM. The library budget vote
garnered the attention of local residents and neighboring
communities alike.
After a tremendous get-out-the-vote effort, voters overwhelmingly
approved the budget for the library—by an unofficial
count of 7,287 to 4,523—thereby securing its future
and accessibility to library services for all residents. Winning
decisively with 63% of the 2003 vote convinced advocates that
they had not only saved a great institution, but that they
had also infused new life into community activism for the
enrichment of all of the people of New Rochelle.
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Campaign to save
a library
