(Chicago, IL, Wednesday, March 11, 2020) – On March 12, 2019, households across the U.S. will begin to receive invitations to respond to the 2020 Census.

The 2020 Census will determine how more than $1 trillion is distributed to states each year for the next 10 years, and libraries are essential partners in ensuring a complete and accurate count of every person.

For the first time in history, the 2020 Census will include an online response option. People who lack internet access or online skills are at risk of being undercounted.

The government is relying on libraries and libraries’ technology resources to count everyone living in the U.S. But the government isn’t giving libraries extra resources to do the job.

The American Library Association wants the nation to know that every community in America can count on libraries to help ensure a fair, accurate and inclusive count of everyone.

In December 2019, The American Library Association (ALA) announced the names of 59 libraries receiving Library Census Equity Fund mini-grants of $2,000 to bolster their service to hard-to-count communities and help achieve a complete count in the 2020 Census.

Libraries also want elected leaders to know that their libraries depend on government support for funding at every level – federal, state and local.

The American Library Association (ALA) is the oldest and largest library association in the world. Founded on October 6, 1876 during the Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia, the mission of ALA is “to provide leadership for the development, promotion and improvement of library and information services and the profession of librarianship in order to enhance learning and ensure access to information for all.”