voter education in Minneapolis

As I've mentioned many times, corresponding with librarians is the best part of my job. I get to hear so many amazing and inspired ideas librarians are crafting into innovative programs for their communities. As I compile all of them to include on the web site, I'm hoping to be organized enough to highlight them here, too. Please check the web site often for updates to the event ideas list.

One such notable program is coming from the Minneapolis Public Library (MPL). This year, along with local organizations and nonprofits, they are creating an impressive Voter Education Project. The library is collaborating with local groups such as Getting to the Bottom of the Ballot (GetBoB), Kids Voting Minneapolis, League of Women Voters of Minneapolis, and the Minnesota Council of Nonprofits. This impressive group is working together to develop content for a print and online nonpartisan voter guide for the Minneapolis city election coming up in September. Information posted on the MPL web site will be in Spanish, Somali, and Hmong. My favorite part of the guide is the "How to Evaluate a Candidate" section. One of the many lessons I learned while at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation was that librarians not only know how to find information, but they understand how to evaluate it, too. Kudos to everyone involved in this comprehensive project!

This effort by the library and local organizations provides a valuable resource to the community and also forges long standing relationships and collaborations that create a stronger community and define the library as the place to be more informed on all aspects of daily life. It is encouraging that libraries continue to evolve in the ways they promote and expand information literacy. Libraries are vital to our growth as individuals, as nations, and as global citizens, and it makes me proud that a national institution offers fundamental resources on how to be active in understanding, protecting, and furthering our rights as citizens.