VoteLibraries encourages all public libraries to serve as catalysts for civic learning by celebrating National Voter Education Week from October 7-11, 2024. This national campaign highlights the importance of civics in promoting and protecting constitutional freedoms at every level of government. 

As inherently civic institutions, public libraries are trusted sources for electoral processes, democratic values and practices, information on citizenship, and constitutionally protected rights. While civic education is not a pre-requisite for voting, it plays an important role ahead of Election Day in creating a more informed electorate and in reducing barriers to accessing the polls. As librarians, it is your responsibility to provide civic education because it helps promote and protect our democracy. 

Here are some steps you can take to participate in National Voter Education Week for your library patrons: 

1. Host programming related to civic education. Integrating civic education into your regular programming can encourage more citizens to participate on Election Day and help them recognize the importance of democratic processes within their local government. You can use this opportunity to highlight the role of the local government in providing funding and support to local institutions like libraries, parks, and schools. 
   
   
2. Offer nonpartisan candidate and issue guides. You can help local community members be informed about what is on the ballot and the stances of candidates by providing nonpartisan candidate and issue guides so that they are confident about their vote. 
   
   
3. Prevent political polarization through community conversations. An important part of civic learning is recognizing the diversity of political viewpoints throughout the nation. However, hateful language and rhetoric toward opposing ideologies go against democratic principles. Your library can host Living Room Conversations and facilitate community discussions that focus on what brings people in your community together rather than the differences that set them apart. These bridging activities can make your community more united and help to humanize political issues that are often over-simplified.
   
   
4. Provide resources and tools to inform voters. Political misinformation and disinformation are more readily spread with the rise of AI and the use of social media for news. As a librarian, you can help combat misinformation by providing fact-checking tools, trusted books and websites for elected-related information, and programs to teach citizens how to spot fake news.

These steps are tools to start the process of voter education but can be supplemented by VoteLibraries’ toolkit on disability voting rights and our resources on our Election Resources Hub. Visit our partners at National Voter Education Week to learn about more actions that your library can take to educate community members about civics ahead of the November 2024 election: https://nationalvotereducationweek.org/vote/.