January 2020 47 C&RL News

Larra Clark is deputy director of public polic y at 
ALA and deput y direc tor of the Public Librar y 
Association, email: lclark@ala.org

W a s h i n g t o n  H o t l i n eLarra Clark

Academic libraries can make a 
difference in the 2020 Census
The 2020 Census will be a central focus 
across the country this year, and academ-
ic libraries can take an active role in pro-
moting its importance. It’s an opportunity 
to collaborate with campus administrators, 
students, faculty, community leaders, and 
elected officials to achieve a fair and accu-
rate Census count. The results of the Census 
will affect federal funding allocations, Con-
gressional representation, and planning and 
policy decisions for the next decade.

A recent George Washington Institute of 
Public Policy analysis found that the Census 
determines the distribution of more than 
$1.5 trillion federal funds annually for es-
sential programs. Many of these programs 
affect higher education, such as financial 
aid (including Pell Grants); improvements 
to campus buildings, labs, and classrooms; 
research grants; the Library Services and 
Technology Act; and numerous social and 
health programs that students rely on. Cen-
sus data is used to draw districts for federal, 
state, and local offices, and agencies and 
organizations of all types establish policy, 
and to plan programs and services based on 
the Census results. 

To ensure that communities receive their 
fair share of funding and representation, 
it’s essential that college students—a group 
that historically has been disproportionately 
undercounted in the decennial Census—be 
counted. College students are considered a 
hard-to-count population, primarily because 

they are highly mobile, may live off-campus 
as renters, and are typically in the age cat-
egory of 18-to-29 years, which a Pew Center 
for Research study found is least likely to 
participate in the Census. Academic libraries 
are well-positioned on campuses to generate 
awareness about the Census and to partner 
with campus groups and organizations on 
events and activities that promote a complete 
count of college students. To learn about 
ways academic libraries can help ensure a 
fair and accurate Census, see ACRL’s “Keeping 
Up With . . . 2020 Census.” 

The 2020 Census is the first Census to in-
clude the online self-response questionnaire, 
which can be completed on a smartphone, 
tablet, or computer in about ten minutes. 
Individuals can also complete the Census 
questionnaire by phone or by mail. Although 
April 1 is designated as Census Day, individu-
als can complete their Census form before this 
date, and they should include everyone who 
will be a usual resident of their household 
on April 1. The Census counts people at their 
usual residence, where they live and sleep 
most of the time. This place is not necessarily 
the same as a student’s “permanent address” 
in college systems or the address where they 
are registered to vote.

Achieving a complete Census count is 
vital to our democracy by making sure that 
everyone is represented. The more college 
students know about the Census, how the 
data is used, and how it impacts them and 
their communities, the more likely they are 
to participate. Visit ala.org/census to learn 
more about libraries and the 2020 Census, 
read tip sheets and the Libraries’ Guide to the 
2020 Census, download graphics, and view 
recorded webinars. 

mailto:lclark%40ala.org?subject=