Key partner and committee work Libraries across the country are playing a key role in 2020 Census activities; maybe you’ve already attended a Census Recruitment event or a session on how to use Census data in your work. At Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh we’ve been planning how best to assist the Pittsburgh community to get a complete count so that we can ensure the best possible snapshot of our city to guide the next decade.
According to the American Library Association, in the 2010 Decennial Census over 6,000 libraries hosted Census Outreach Sites. Because this Census will be conducted primarily online for the first time ever, libraries will play an even bigger role in making sure that those who don’t have high speed internet access at home (over 24 million people!) can use our computers or WiFi for free.
For the past year, CLP has been working with government and nonprofit organizations and area businesses as part of the Allegheny County Complete Count Committee. We’ve identified some of the hardest to reach locations and communities in the region and have been working to make sure that library staff at any location in the county will be ready to assist. The Census itself is short and simple, but library staff can help you log onto a computer and get to the correct website, help you find the Census form in one of the 12 available languages or even help you find a local translator.
If you’re starting to feel excited about this year’s Census, we’d even like to help you learn more about getting involved yourself! If you’re interested in becoming a Census Champion and helping spread the word about the Census, or if you work for an organization that might be able to assist people in filling it out, you can find out more about various levels of involvement here.
The very first official mail from the U.S. Census Bureau should start showing up in your mailboxes in mid-March, but if you have questions before then, please stop in and let us know! We’re happy to help you locate the most reliable, accurate information.