In an effort to encourage full participation in the 2020 Census, Hartford Public Library will expand technology access in all of its neighborhood libraries beginning March 28.
“We knew that as a library, as a place in the community where so many people already come, that we have an obligation as a civic organization to do as much as we possibly can to help people understand the importance of the Census,” said Bridget Quinn-Carey, Hartford Public Library’s chief executive officer.
If individuals need assistance filling out the 2020 Census, the first in the nation’s history to take place primarily online, Hartford’s librarians are poised to help. Computer kiosks will be installed at all of the city’s libraries for residents to have a dedicated place to take the Census.
“We are in one of the areas of the country that is determined to be hardest to count,” said Quinn-Carey, noting a designation made by the Census itself.
In an effort to remedy that concern, HPL will open an additional neighborhood library each weekend from March 28 and ending April 26, giving people a safe and welcoming place to have their questions answered.
Below are the dates, times, and locations.
- Saturday, March 28, 10 am-1 pm and Sunday, March 29 1-4 pm, Barbour Library, 261 Barbour Street
- Saturday, April 4, 10 am-1 pm and Sunday, April 5 1-4 pm, Dwight Library, 7 New Park Avenue
- April 11, 10 am-1 pm, Sand/Ropkins Library, 1750 Main Street
- April 18, 10 am-1 pm and April 19, 1-4 pm, Camp Field Library, 30 Campfield Avenue
- April 25, 10 am-1 pm, Barbour Library, 261 Barbour Street
- April 26, 1-4 pm, Sand/Ropkins Library, 1750 Main Street
Food will be available at each of the locations, as well as a raffle for various prizes.
Quinn-Carey said the stakes for the Census are high.
“If people don’t get counted then our community will suffer. We won’t have the appropriate funding to support our community. The funding affects our schools, affects our public services. So many funding decisions are made by census information. If we don’t count everyone, we are leaving funding on the table in so many different way. We are also impacting our state’s representation in Washington,” she said.
The Census can be completed online, by paper, or over the phone. For help completing the form, call the Census at 800-923-8282.
“The library has a role because we are a trusted institution that supports our community. We take that mission, as being a seat of civic engagement, to heart,” Quinn-Carey said.
For more information about Hartford Public Library, visit hplct.libguides.com/Census
FAST FACTS ABOUT THE 2020 CENSUS
Drawn from “Counting for Dollars 2020” and “2020 Census Faith Toolkit”
- In FY 2016 Connecticut received $10,726,609,427 from federal spending programs guided by the 2010 Census. That money was used to fund schools, health care, highway construction, and student loans among many other areas that touch our daily lives. When people are not counted our community loses out.
- The Census determines how many representatives our state will send to Congress and how our congressional districts will be drawn. State and local governments also use Census data to redraw state legislative districts.
- Census information is confidential and will not be shared with any other government agency.
- The 2020 Census will not have a citizenship question and even if you can’t vote you can be counted.
- Be sure to count all people who live in your house, not just family members.
- The Census will never ask for a Social Security number, bank account number, or to pay money.