By Samantha Stryker, Adult & Community Services librarian, Richmond Memorial Library.
April 1 is Census Day, and Richmond Memorial Library is taking steps to make it easier for the community to participate.
For the first time, the U.S. Census Bureau is offering and encouraging the option to complete the Census online. Beginning in mid-March, most households will receive a postcard with a code to complete the Census online, with options to complete the Census by phone or to request a paper form.
Any library user with a valid library card can use a computer at the library to securely complete the Census.
To obtain a library card, bring photo ID with proof of current address to the library. Lost your card? No problem! The library will waive the $1 replacement card fee during the months of March and April to increase access to computers.
The library will have a dedicated phone and computer terminal for use by anyone wishing to complete the Census. Librarians can offer assistance in locating the online portal and will help patrons contact the Census Bureau by phone to complete the Census or request a paper form.
The paper form will be available in English and Spanish.
In addition to English, Census questionnaire assistance will be available in 12 languages: Arabic, Chinese [Simplified], French, Haitian Creole, Japanese, Korean, Polish, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Tagalog, and Vietnamese. The Census Bureau is also providing language guides in 59 non-English languages.
When you participate in the Census, you are contributing toward a more complete count for the Genesee County region.
A complete count helps the appropriate amount of federal funds to be dispersed, which includes everything from money for infrastructure to agriculture to health care to education. Congressional representation in Washington, D.C., is also determined by Census data.
“Every missed count equates to $30,000 lost in regional funding per person,” said Genesee County Complete Count Chair and County Legislator Shelley Stein. “We appreciate the initiatives by Richmond Memorial Library and other community partners to help ensure a complete count.”
Complete Count Committees have been established all over the country to help encourage full participation, and Genesee County is no exception.
"We were invited to participate in Genesee County's Complete Count Committee when it formed," said library Director Bob Conrad. "Many agencies agreed to help just by spreading the word to their users that the Census is safe, secure, and mandatory to take.
"But libraries play a dual role, actually offering the technology and assistance that some people may need to participate. When these other agencies refer people to us, we want them to be able to take the Census, and to discover what else the library has to offer, whether it's the first time they've ever set foot in one, or the first time since losing their card."
For more information about the Census, visit census.gov or stop by the library! For information about the library, visit batavialibrary.org.
Richmond Memorial Library continually provides access to physical and virtual resources and services that meet the educational, informational and recreational needs of its diverse community in a safe and comfortable environment.
Richmond Memorial Library is located at 19 Ross St. in the City of Batavia.
Submitted photo: Library Director Bob Conrad, right, shows Genesee County Legislator and Complete Count Chair Shelley Stein the "Census station" at Richmond Memorial Library. The library has a phone and computer terminal dedicated solely for use by those wishing to complete the Census.
