How to Write a Letter to the Editor For Our Libraries
Writing a letter to the editor to your local news outlet is one of the most effective ways to draw the attention of your elected officials. Congressional staff monitor media hits for their offices every day. And in fact, smaller news outlets that have a critical place in your local or statewide community are just as likely to have an impact as larger, national news outlets. Small-circulation newspapers publish the majority of the letters they receive. Feel free to try larger outlets, but we encourage you to aim locally first!
Keep in mind that every letter to the editor makes an impact, even if it’s not published. The more feedback a news outlet receives on libraries, the better they understand that libraries are newsworthy to their readers.
Below is a general structure you can use to help you craft a letter to the editor. Be sure to consult the unique guidelines of your chosen news outlet before writing your letter.
- Introduce the issue. State why you are writing the letter. If you are responding to a specific news article, directly address that article or its author.
-
Use a personal example and/or local statistics. Share why you, your family, or your community are personally connected to this issue. Support this with statistics, preferably local. If you do not have a personal story or local statistics, cite a local or state-specific story.
-
Close with a call to action. Tell your representative(s) what exactly you want to do to support libraries. Reaffirm the main point, offer a solution to the problem, and reinforce how important this is to you.
Once you follow your chosen news outlet’s submission instructions, wait at LEAST seven days before re-submitting it somewhere else. Do not submit the same letter to multiple outlets at the same time: news editors want exclusive content, and will not publish something that’s already published elsewhere. They may blacklist you if you spam multiple places with the same message simultaneously. A seven-day grace period should be safe, and you’re free to try again somewhere else: persistence is key!
What’s next after hitting 'submit'? Amplify your message.
-
Once you submit your letter, email it to your Congressmembers to underscore for them your passion and the potential reach of your advocacy.
If your Letter to the Editor gets published, multiply the impact by:
-
Share the article link broadly on social media, tag your Congressmembers wherever they have an account, and urge them to show up #ForOurLibraries.
-
Ask friends, family, and fellow library lovers to comment on your letter on the media outlet’s page.
-
Content that elicits engagement from readers will become a higher priority for news editors, who decide what issues to cover.
Want a resource you can print out and share with your community? You can find our Letter to the Editor How-To PDF here!
