Partnering for the Civic Season: Civics Education for Young Voters in Public Libraries

The EveryLibrary Institute is proud to partner with the Civic Season to encourage more libraries to provide civic education and participate in civic engagement.

The Civic Season takes place from Juneteenth through July 4th to encourage civic learning, especially amongst young voters. Civic education is an integral part of promoting and protecting democracy through a shared understanding of American history and the Constitution. As community centers, public libraries are well-positioned to teach civics by offering books and materials, programming, and strategic partnerships with civic organizations in your local community.

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Access our Civic Season list of resources to help your library participate in the holiday.

Celebrating the Civic Season is especially important for young and first-time voters, who may need additional resources to understand the electoral process and the importance of civics.

Ideas for Engaging with Young Voters on Civics

1. Host civics programming and activities: From games on historical American figures to lessons that promote an understanding of local governments, there are many ways in which you can bring civics programming to your library. One way to get involved is to host a Civics 101 course where you can teach young voters what to expect on Election Day and provide sample ballots. Young voters might also be unaware of the role of misinformation and disinformation when they are researching political issues. As a trusted community member, you can provide vetted, reliable resources (including nonpartisan issue and candidate guides) to help inform young voters before they cast their votes. This is especially helpful for a generation that is chronically online to offer trusted sources of information. You can also partner with your local college campuses to provide voter registration drives, to encourage young voters to be registered ahead of time. 
2. Partnering for success: As a librarian, you might not have the time or resources to understand and share everything important about the civic process. This is where strategic partnerships with civic-centered organizations can be helpful. Reach out to your local League of Women Voters, election offices, or educators to partner with them on civic events and activities. National organizations, like National Voter Registration Day and the American Association of People with Disabilities' REV Up campaign, also offer information and resources that you can use to support your participation in the Civic Season.
3. Add civics to your library collection: Offer books and digital resources that promote civic learning. This could be anything from history textbooks to contemporary commentaries on politics. Offering these civic materials allows busy young voters to learn at their own pace and on their own time.
4. Emphasize the library as a civic space: Public libraries are inherently civic spaces that offer insights into the foundations of democracy and promote an active citizenry. They are a third space within communities that are accessible and free for all people. Another way that you can engage in promoting civics is by explaining the role of your library as a civics leader in your community. Your library brings people from all walks of life (and across political ideologies) together. It provides them with knowledge and resources to help them succeed. Its very existence supports democracy and freedom. 

As you gear up to celebrate the Civic Season, be sure to tune in to our Civic Season Webinar Series, where we will offer public librarians and library supporters alike the opportunity to hear from various civic leaders about their resources for civic engagement.