Guidelines for Lobbying
School Board Candidates
Elected school board members:
Take your concern directly to the campaign:
1. Consider running for a seat on your local school board.
2. Contact every school board candidate personally and educate them about your school library concerns.
3. Ask every school board candidate to complete a candidate questionnaire.
4. Let school board candidates know that you intend to disseminate the questionnaire results.
5. Post questionnaire results on the web.
6. Attend campaign events and ask questions about the candidates’ views on library issues at campaign stops.
7. Consider campaigning for school board candidates who share your views.
8. Contact local political organizations and ask if you can speak at a meeting about library issues and the
candidates.
9. Educate the public about library issues via the web, e-mails, and letters to the editor.
10. Ask everyone who agrees with you to help you in this effort.
Appointed school board members:
Take your concern to the elected officials responsible for making appointments. Often, these elected officials are unaware of library issues until a voter contacts them directly. To begin this process:
1. Identify each elected official responsible for appointing library board members
2. Contact each official personally and explain your concern.
3. If their appointee has been sympathetic to your concern, tell them so and thank them for appointing someone
responsive to the taxpayers. If their appointee has been unhelpful regarding your concern, tell them so and ask if
they agree with this position.
4. If they do not agree with their appointee’s position, ask them if they are willing to help you effect change.
5. During an election cycle, contact every candidate running for an office responsible for appointing library board or
school board members.
6. Ask for meetings with the candidates to discuss library issues.
7. Educate the candidates about your library concerns and ask them to complete a
candidate questionnaire. Click here for sample candidate questionnaire.
8. Consider campaigning for candidates who share your views on library issues.
9. Encourage candidates to utilize the candidate questionnaire, if elected, to determine
whether potential appointees are suitable.
10. Identify individuals in your community who share your views and are willing to serve as appointees on the local
school board.
11. Ask suitable individuals to compile resumes outlining their qualifications for the school board.
12. Once officials are elected, contact them personally and share your recommendations for appointees to the school
board.
