Spokane Public Library is facing a projected $2.3 million general fund deficit in the coming year, creating an opportunity—and an urgent need—to help the community understand the library’s financial realities before difficult funding decisions are made.

The campaign was designed to address several challenges:
• Public understanding: Explain how the library is funded and how those funds are spent responsibly.
• Financial transparency: Provide clear, accessible information about the budget, funding sources, and financial challenges.
• Public trust: Demonstrate how the library responsibly manages and maximizes public funds.
• Community impact: Help residents understand how funding decisions may affect library services and the community.
• Long-term understanding: Build a foundation for informed public conversations about sustainable library funding, including the potential 2027 levy.

To build public trust and understanding around library funding, Spokane Public Library launched Your Library, Your Investment, a year-long civic education campaign designed to make complex funding issues accessible, transparent, and relevant. The library used a “slow drip” approach to build understanding over time.

The campaign focused on:
• Explaining how the library is funded, governed, and operated
• Demonstrating responsible stewardship and how limited resources are maximized
• Communicating the value and community impact of public investment
• Explaining the potential consequences of ongoing funding challenges
• Preparing the community for future funding conversations, including a 2027 levy
Content was delivered through social media, email, blogs, magazine articles, and media outreach. The approach is innovative because it positions public funding communication as ongoing civic education—not a transactional campaign launched only when a ballot measure is imminent.

While a long-term budget solution has not yet been reached at time of submission, the ongoing campaign has demonstrated measurable success in increasing public awareness and engagement around library funding. Success is being measured through reach, engagement, media coverage, and community response.
• Reach: 172,000 views across campaign content
• Media coverage: 10 media stories expanded the conversation beyond library-owned channels.
• Engagement: By tracking engagement, we were able to identify which topics and formats generate the most interest and pivot messaging to target misperceptions.
• Community response: Staff are documenting questions, comments, and feedback from customers and community members to identify areas of confusion and opportunities for clearer communication.
• Long-term measure: Continued engagement and public understanding will be evaluated as the Library communicates about funding, budget decisions, and future levy discussions.

Supporting Materials:

• YouTube Short: @SpokanePublicLibrary
  "Hear from Andrew Chanse, Library Executive Director, on where our budget stands."