Libraries Winners On Election Day

Of 37 library-related ballot measures in 16 states, 27 were passed, including a $125 million New Jersey Library Construction Bond

Election Day this past Tuesday saw Democrats and Republicans on ballots across the country. Along with all the politicians, libraries were on the ballots, too. For the most part, they came out winners, reports Andrew Albanese, Publishers Weekly senior writer.

“John Chrastka at EveryLibrary, the library lobbying organization, identified and tracked 37 library measures in 16 states. It appears that 27 ballot measures passed, only three lost, and results for the other six are still being tallied,” Albanese says.

“Among the big winners was a statewide New Jersey Library Construction Bond – a $125 million authorization for state matching funds for local construction projects. John Chrastka also reports that Denver, Dallas, and Houston passed major citywide building bonds that will help move multiple facilities into the next generation,” Albanese tells CCC’s Chris Kenneally.

Library-loving listeners in the Miami, Florida, area can meet John Chrastka in person at the annual Miami Book Fair on the campus of Miami Dade Community College, along with Meredith Schwarz, Executive Editor of Library Journal, Ray Baker, Director, Miami-Dade Public Library, and  PW’s Andrew Albanese. CCC’s Chris Kenneally moderates a discussion on The Public Library in a Disruptive Age, Sunday, November 19, 11:00 am, Room 7106 (Building 7, 1st Floor).

Every Friday, CCC’s “Beyond the Book” speaks with the editors and reporters of “Publishers Weekly” for an early look at the news that publishers, editors, authors, agents and librarians will be talking about when they return to work on Monday.