In order to meet today's financial challenges, libraries must be ready, willing, and able to enter the arena of politics and compete for scarce public funding. This book offers librarians, library workers, trustees, and friends' organizations practical advice, case studies, and step-by-step guidance for evaluating the existing local political structure, galvanizing public support, and using aggressive political action to influence or take control of the process of government decision-making about libraries. The book contains an introduction--Do Librarians Hate Politics? And Does it Matter?--and the following chapters: (1) Strategic Planning for Political Action; (2) Who Runs River City?--analysis of power structures; (3) Targeting: Politicians, Wannabes, and Opinion Leaders; (4) Some Notes on Recruitment and Tactics; (5) All Politics Is Local: An Advocacy Training Workshop; (6) Coalitions: Togetherness Builds Strength; (7) Who Wants To Know? Political Opinion Polling; (8) Handling the Media: Tools of the Trade; (9) Being There--personal community networking; and (10) On Your Own--political advocacy in the small or isolated community. A subject index is included. (Author/SWC)