Tag Archives: vigo county

Libraries and the 2020 census

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In December of last year, Kathy Kozenski from the Geography Educators’ Network of Indiana and I brought a giant 15′ x 21′ Indiana floor map1 to the Vigo County Public Library for a program called “Get On The Map!” Library patrons, ages 3 to 15, joined us in learning about state geography as we walked in socked feet across cities, lakes, rivers and forests.

Photo courtesy of Lauri Chandler, Youth Services Manager at the Vigo County Public Library.

We discussed the cardinal directions and talked with the students about where they had lived and traveled, and where they would like to go in the future. Despite their young ages, many had already been outside of the state and even outside of the country. We asked students to identify and locate map features. Lake Michigan, one of the map’s prominent features, was a favorite.

We asked what we might find in Indiana cities or towns. Answers were:

“Buildings!”
“Roads!”
“Trees!”
“Pets!”
“Cars!”

Part of my reason for this question was to introduce the idea of the census, so we asked what else a city or town needed in order to have all of these things.

“People!,” they answered.

This provided us with a chance to discuss how many people live in different areas, and that when there are more people we need more resources. We talked about the upcoming 2020 census, why we count people and why it is important to get an accurate count so that resources can be distributed where they are needed.

We followed our map exploration with the storied adventures of Fred the Fish. Made of a small piece of muslin, Fred swam in a river – a plastic container of water – next to several different sources of pollution. We poured in small amounts of dirt, oil and trash. We demonstrated the effects of these things on Fred, and talked about how important it is to notice the effects of human population on the surrounding environment.

With the 2020 Census approaching, librarians are on the forefront of community outreach, as our jobs will involve helping patrons report data to the federal government. This will be the first U.S. census in history to provide the opportunity for online response, and we expect to welcome our patrons to answer the census at our public computers.

In October of 2018, the American Library Association issued a policy brief entitled Libraries and the 2020 Census Vital Partners for a Complete Count that explains how libraries act as “trusted partners in achieving a complete count in the 2020 census” by:

  • Delivering information about the census and hosting community outreach activities
  • Providing internet access to enable respondents to complete the census form online
  • Serving as trusted messengers, including in hard-to-count communities
  • Training data users and providing access to census statistics for businesses and community members.

ALA recently hosted a free webinar, “Libraries and the 2020 Census” through its Chapter Advocacy Exchange. You can view the webinar here. The ALA president, assistant director of government relations and deputy director of public policy addressed the important role libraries play in ensuring a complete and accurate count of people. It featured librarians planning 2020 census outreach in Montana, California and Illinois.

In Indiana, there are several ways we can participate in planning for the 2020 census, which will take place a year from now, in March and April of 2020. Local communities are building Complete Count Committees, also known as CCCs, to encourage participation. At your library, you can help by hosting outreach efforts from the Census Bureau, promoting census jobs as they are available and incorporating census information in newsletters, social media and websites. Last week, the Census Bureau released its 2020 promotional guidelines. You can retrieve the PDF here.

For more information about the 2020 census in Indiana and how you can help, visit the Census in Indiana website. Follow the State Data Center on Facebook and Twitter for census messages and contact us at the Indiana State Library with questions.

1. GENI loans out giant traveling floor maps of Indiana to libraries and schools along with curriculum guides and a trunk full of learning tools.

This blog post by Katie Springer, reference librarian. For more information, contact the Reference & Government Services Division at 317-232-3678 or submit an Ask-A-Librarian request.

The library as an incubator

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There may have been a time when some might have scoffed at the idea of a library as a creator and not simply a neutral curator. Thankfully, that time is long past and one can take a look at public libraries across Indiana and see the visible change.

The most noticeable change in libraries has been physical. Many libraries across the state have already begun to renovate their spaces to accommodate more small meeting space and multi-use public space. Technology and electronic resources have also had a visible impact on these newly renovated physical spaces that serve not only as locations for learning and creative expression, but also as co-working spaces which blend commercial and creative output.

Here are just a few of the Hoosier public libraries who are promoting library creation and innovation:

Studio 304 Digital Media Lab | St. Joseph Co. Public Library

Studio 304 is equipped with tools and technology to create and produce in print, video and audio formats. The studio is designed for patrons 14 and older to inspire digital creativity.  The space features audio and video recording booths, as well as software and equipment for video and audio editing. The library even offers AV recording equipment for check-out for off-site use. Since opening, the space has been used to record a full length album and audio book. It’s relaxed atmosphere also makes it an ideal location for small meetings.

Digital Underground | Bartholomew County Public Library

The Digital Underground has given patrons access to a wide variety of digital creativity tools; tools that empower patrons to express their creativity in many different ways.  Record a song using the digital recording studio, create some album art using Adobe Photoshop or Illustrator and finish up by recording a music video using the green screen.  The sky is the limit as far as what you can do with the space and tools provided.

Level Up | Monroe County Public Library

Level Up is an all ages space that includes a video production studio with green screen, two audio production studios and digital creativity workstations for design, coding and editing. Level Up is a place for video and music production, graphic and web design and coding and game creation.

TekVenture | Allen County Public Library

TekVenture is somewhat special in that it was an independent organization before the Allen County Public Library gave it space to operate in a trailer, known as Maker Station, located across the street from the main library. Through this partnership, the makerspace was given a home to store equipment and tinker, and the library was provided access to members’ expertise and willingness to assist with programs. As this partnership grew, so did the organization and, even though their partnership continues to influence libraries across the globe, the organization has been housed in their own permanent downtown facility since 2015. When TekVenture was able to move to their own facility, Allen County Public Library was able to launch their own Maker Lab which is housed at the downtown branch. They also offer a satellite location at the Georgetown branch.

Haute Create | Vigo County Public Library

Haute Create is a dedicated space that offers access to state of the art technologies and innovative tools at the main branch of the Vigo County Public Library.

The space includes access to 3-D printers and a 3-D scanner; a wide-format printer; equipment for electronics and robotics work; a 75-inch SmartTV that allows for computers and software instruction for up to 12 people and other hardware and software tools which customers can use to create and explore.

The Portal | Tippecanoe County Public Library

Opened in 2012, Tippecanoe County Library’s Portal is a technology-rich center for learning, research, training, collaboration and content production. Visitors enjoy open space equipped with a combination of PCs, laptops and tablets. Patrons can use the space for digital creativity, or even as a co-working space.

The space also includes an audio/video conference suite, video recording equipment with green screen technology and equipment that allows one to preserve slides. Additionally, the Portal contains a language learning suite equipped with headphones and microphones for learning, listening and practicing foreign languages such as French, German and Japanese.

As libraries continue this trend, they will become synonymous with creation and innovation and not just curation. Indiana libraries are already well on their way.

This blog post was written by Amber Painter, southwest regional coordinator. For more information, contact the Professional Development Office (PDO) at (317) 232-3697 or via email.