The Public Library’s Role in Elections: Voter Education in a Post-Truth Era

As the 2020 election quickly approaches it promises to be the most watched election in our lifetime and is only complicated by the Covid-19 pandemic. This presentation will equip library staff to gather user-friendly information from reliable and nonpartisan sources in order to offer an invaluable, evolving online voting guide tailor-made for their communities.

By exploring resources—everything from a glossary of common terms used during elections to information on changing voting laws and options due to the pandemic—this webinar will illustrate how libraries can gather the most useful information in order to address their community's needs. With a focus on citizenship and voting, attendees will learn to serve their diverse populations in a welcoming and nonpartisan way.

At the end of this one-hour webinar, participants will:

• Identify the information needs of their communities regarding elections and voter mobilization efforts
• Identify key stakeholders and audiences to communicate the importance of their voter education efforts
• Curate and design helpful resources in order to engage their communities in the voting process
• Be knowledgeable of other voter groups and initiatives relevant to public library voter education efforts

This webinar will be of interest to: Public Librarians and Staff

Presentation Material

Speaker's slides