About the Building Support for Library Series 

Massachusetts Library System (MLS), in collaboration with the Massachusetts Library Association (MLA) Legislative Committee, is excited to share a special selection of EveryLibrary webinars with our members.

These webinars and follow-up community chats are designed to strengthen skills in communication, funding strategies, and community engagement that help libraries thrive. Each webinar introduces strategies from national experts, followed by a community chat where members can revisit the content, ask questions, and explore how to apply these ideas locally. Together, the series offers expert guidance and space for peer connection, supporting healthy, vibrant libraries across the Commonwealth.

Description:

Strong coalitions for libraries are built not only with individuals but also through strategic collaborations with organizations, agencies, and stakeholder groups that hold influence in the community and serve similar populations to the library. This session explores how to identify and engage potential institutional allies from education, civic, business, cultural, and social service sectors which can broaden the library’s base of support and strengthen its advocacy. Participants will learn strategies to align missions, navigate organizational priorities, and create durable collaborations that amplify the library’s role in the community. By shifting from informal support to formal alliances, libraries can leverage the credibility, networks, and resources of established organizations to ensure sustainable success.

This webinar will be recorded and posted on the MLS Vimeo Page. 

Presenter

John Chrastka, Executive Director, EveryLibrary

EveryLibrary’s founder is John Chrastka, a long-time library trustee, supporter, and advocate. John is a former partner in AssociaDirect, a Chicago-based consultancy focused on supporting associations in membership recruitment, conference, and governance activities. He is a former president and member of the Board of Trustees for the Berwyn (IL) Public Library (2006 – 2015) and is a former president of the Reaching Across Illinois Libraries System (RAILS) multi-type library system. He is co-author of “Before the Ballot; Building Support for Library Funding.” and “Winning Elections and Influencing Politicians for Library Funding.” Before his work at AssociaDirect, he was Director for Membership Development at the American Library Association (ALA) and a co-founder of the Ed Tech startup ClassMap. He was named a 2014 Mover & Shaker by Library Journal and tweets @mrchrastka.

Accessibility

The Massachusetts Library System (MLS) strives to create inclusive and accessible events. To request a reasonable accommodation to attend this event, please contact Sarah Donnelly (Event & Project Manager) at sdonnelly@masslibsystem.org or 508-357-2121 ext. 301. All reasonable accommodation requests should be made no fewer than two (2) weeks before the event, although we will attempt to fulfill reasonable requests made after that time.