Library Advocacy

• If local government budgets truly reflect the values of the communities they serve, I believe the City of San José’s budget should prioritize our public libraries.
• It is critical that the San José Public Library has the resources it needs to serve our most vulnerable neighbors and build a more equitable, educated, and engaged community.
• When library funding increases, our community is safer and stronger. An increase in library funding correlates with an increase in library usage. Greater library usage increases the overall literacy skills of our community, which creates more economic opportunity for its members and boosts our local economy.
• Any continued cuts to Library hours, services, and staff will only exacerbate the growing digital divide in San José unless we invest in solutions now.
• The Library has taken the lead in implementing the City’s Education and Digital Literacy Strategy. In order to sustain and build upon this work, we must continue to invest in the program.
• I call on city leaders to fully fund our Library in order to ensure equity of opportunity for all of our residents.

These points are more specific and intended for people who are more actively involved in advocacy, such as Advocacy Committee members, director-level staff, board members, and district champions. Use them for one-on-one meetings with elected officials, district budget town halls, and other public settings where you want to tailor your message to the district and to your personal library story. 

Highlight the District specific impact, what cuts actually look like

• Lead with a personal story on the impact of libraries on your life. Then consider noting:
  • If hours get cut, working families lose after school and evening access, students lose homework space, job seekers lose computer time, and seniors lose in person help. Note: Tie-in to personal story and/or role.
  • If staffing gets cut, service slows down, programs shrink, and safety response capacity weakens. Note: Tie-in to personal story and/or role.

Tie-in to values and the district priorities

• Open with the values line from your general talking points, then make it local: budgets reflect values, and in our district the library is one of the most used public services.  
• Name who gets hit first by cuts, seniors, youth, multilingual learners, people without reliable internet, and unhoused neighbors.  
• District values/priorities are highlighted here.

Public safety, framed as prevention

• Libraries are supervised, structured public spaces, fewer hours and fewer staff shifts mean fewer safe places to go and fewer responsible eyes on the ground. 
• Libraries are part of our City’s public safety infrastructure. Cuts to hours, staffing, or safety supports would reduce safety. Libraries also help reduce harmful outcomes by giving people a safe, pro-social place to be.
• SJPL already provides supplemental security coverage at seven higher-need branches. Further cuts could undermine branch safety and staff support.

Education and learning recovery, framed as the City’s role

• Libraries are one of the City’s clearest levers for education outcomes across neighborhoods, especially for kids who need quiet study space, literacy support, and enrichment. 
• Anchor it in your point that the Library leads the City’s Education and Digital Literacy Strategy and needs resources to sustain it.

Digital access, framed as basic infrastructure

• Cuts deepen the digital divide, period. Say it plainly and connect it to jobs, benefits, school portals, and health care access.

Senior/Elder connection and isolation

• Libraries are one of the few free, welcoming places where seniors can stay socially connected, participate in programs, and avoid isolation, especially for those who live alone. 
• Moreover, seniors are among the vulnerable populations who are most impacted by the digital divide, and also potential scams. Digital literacy will help keep our seniors safe and protected.

Cost efficiency, one line

• Use our fact sheet’s “2.43x visits per $1M” in comparing SJPL to a big city peer, SFPL, as a quick proof that libraries are a high return investment, then stop. Do not over explain.  
• Pull other High-Level and Citywide data points from there, and/or District Specific data

A clear district ask plus a clear next step

• Ask the councilmember to commit to keeping the library budget flat for FY 2026 to 2027 and to advocate for no reductions to hours, staffing, or safety.  
• Ask what they need from you, plus a simple follow up, can we check in after the next budget milestone.

This is a ready-to-use script for public-facing moments, open forum, Q and A, and public comment. It is designed for advocates who are speaking on the record. Keep it conversational, add one personal sentence, and end with a clear ask.

Hi, my name is [Name], I live in [San José Neighborhood], District [Number]. I am representing [X] and the over 755K cardholders here to ask you to keep the San José Public Library budget flat for FY 2026 to 2027 and avoid any further cuts to library hours, staffing, or safety. 

In our district, the library is a real lifeline, for students who need a place to learn, for families who need after school access, for job seekers who need technology, for neighbors who need a safe public space, and for seniors who may be experiencing limited person to person contact or feelings of isolation.  

Cuts to library hours and staffing do not disappear, they shift costs elsewhere and widen inequities, especially for residents already on the wrong side of the digital divide.  

Please protect our libraries, and let us know what you need from the community to support that commitment. 

408-535-4800 | mayoremail@sanjoseca.gov

408-535-4901 | District1@sanjoseca.gov

408-535-4902 | District2@sanjoseca.gov

408-535-4903 | District3@sanjoseca.gov

408-535-4904 | District4@sanjoseca.gov

408-535-4905 | District5@sanjoseca.gov

408-535-4906 | district6@sanjoseca.gov

408-535-4908 | district8@sanjoseca.gov

408-535-4909 | District9@sanjoseca.gov

408-535-4910 | District10@sanjoseca.gov

To contact members of the San José City Council by mail, send to:

200 E. Santa Clara St.
San José, CA 95113