For immediate release | April 10, 2024

¾«¶«´«Ã½ Launches Reader. Voter. Ready. Campaign to Equip Libraries for 2024 Elections

Reader. Voter. Ready. logo. ¾«¶«´«Ã½¾«¶«´«Ã½. Image accompanying the text is a ballot being put into a book.
Take Action for Libraries Day, Thursday, April 11. Reader. Voter. Ready. ¾«¶«´«Ã½¾«¶«´«Ã½. Take action for libraries by committing to vote! Get informed, get registered, and get ready. Image accompanying the text is a ballot being put into a book.
Reader. Voter. Ready. logo. ¾«¶«´«Ã½¾«¶«´«Ã½. Image accompanying the text is a ballot being put into a book.
Take Action for Libraries Day, Thursday, April 11. Reader. Voter. Ready. ¾«¶«´«Ã½¾«¶«´«Ã½. Take action for libraries by committing to vote! Get informed, get registered, and get ready. Image accompanying the text is a ballot being put into a book.

¾«¶«´«Ã½

¾«¶«´«Ã½asks readers, voters to pledge participation in 2024 elections on Take Action for Libraries Day

Chicago – Today the ¾«¶«´«Ã½ (ALA) kicks off its Reader. Voter. Ready. campaign, calling on advocates to sign a pledge to be registered, informed and ready to vote in all local, state and federal elections in 2024. 

¾«¶«´«Ã½President Emily Drabinski said, “Libraries have a long history of providing information and services that help voters participate in our democracy. Libraries aren’t just a great place for reading – they’re also a great place to get ready to vote.”

In a 2022 survey (PDF) conducted by the Public Library Association, 68% of public libraries reported offering voting related services that included registration, ballot drop-off or serving as a polling place. Libraries also host an array of activities, such as candidate debates and helping students learn about the American system of government.

The primary goals of the ¾«¶«´«Ã½’s Reader. Voter. Ready. campaign are:

  • to ensure that some 370,000 library workers in America are registered, informed and ready to vote for federal, state and local elections in 2024 and beyond, and
  • to equip libraries nationwide to ensure the same for their communities.

The Reader. Voter. Ready. resources released today include

Leading up to the November 5 elections, ¾«¶«´«Ã½is collaborating with partners to provide nonpartisan resources and learning opportunities for librarians, including webinars, in-person workshops, fact sheets, ideas for civic engagement programming and one-pagers for select audiences. Partners include the League of Women Voters, National Voter Registration Day (September 17), Nonprofit Vote and Democracy Class.

Contact:

Shawnda Hines

Deputy Director, Communications

Public Policy and Advocacy

shines@alawash.org

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Advocacy