The census is coming, the census is coming!
The 2020 federal census is the first time that people will be able to submit their census form online and libraries across the country are expected to be major participants in the effort to achieve a complete count. In Franklin County, libraries are finalizing plans to provide information and resources to aid in the census count.
The census is a count of every person who lives in the United States and its territories, and it happens every 10 years. This year, you will be asked to count everyone who lives in your home as of April 1, which is National Census Day. Responding to the 2020 census is a chance to shape your future.
Starting in mid-March, residents across Franklin County will receive a letter asking them to complete the 2020 census questionnaire online or by telephone (or later with a paper copy).
It’s very important that everyone in Franklin County is counted, as census data determines the distribution of billions of dollars of federal resources and defines our legislative districts for the next 10 years. It is estimated that $2,372 per person in annual federal resources will be lost for every person not counted in the Census. If Franklin County is undercounted by just 3 percent (i.e. just three people out of every 100 are not counted), we could lose over $50 million in federal resources over a 10-year period.
Because libraries are about information, many libraries in Franklin County, including the Tilton Library in Deerfield, will have printed material and information on their library website and social media sites to help answer questions and provide assistance.
At the Greenfield Public Library, on Monday, March 9, Elaine Arsenault, of census 2020, will be available from 10 a.m. to noon to provide information and answer questions. This event is free and open to the public.
Many libraries, including Greenfield, the Cushman Library in Bernardston and the Dickinson Memorial Library in Northfield, will have computers dedicated to census submissions during regular library hours starting in mid-March. There will also be trained staff members available to answer questions about the census. Members of the community may also bring in their own devices to the library to fill out the census using the library’s WiFi, where available.
In addition to being able to complete the Census at the library, the Dickinson Memorial Library of Northfield is planning “pop up” census events at its local senior center in March and April. The Greenfield Public Library will also be hosting “pop up” census events in the community — including at the Stone Soup Cafe and the Greenfield Senior Center — beginning in mid-March.
For more information, contact your local library to learn how they can help you be counted in the Federal 2020 census.
Pamela McBride is the information services librarian at Greenfield Public Library.