Census

Finding Students: ALA Contributing to the 2020 Census

February 21, 2020 2132
People icons in US

 The American Library Association is preparing academic libraries for the U.S. Census — the decennial count of every person living within the United States — by supplying a digest of resources. The newest tip sheet, Academic Libraries and the 2020 Census: Reaching College Students, gives insight on how an accurate count of students will help allocate $1.5 trillion annually spent for scholarships, facility upkeep, and research. The ALA tip sheet also touches on handling the rigors that go into counting students as they may have two places of residence, such as back in the town they grew up in and now apartments near their university.

The ALA also assembled a Libraries’ Guide to the 2020 Census, which provides content ranging from the basics to a detailed list of frequently asked questions.

Average college students are in the range of 18-29 years old, which a Pew Center for Research study found to be the least likely to contribute in the count. The 2020 Census site details the proper way to count students and other individuals, outlining that a person should be accounted for in the place where they slumber and reside the most.

Libraries have contributed to the accurate count by providing internet access, informing the public and partnering with local leaders. More ALA projects regarding the 2020 Census may be found on their site under Advocacy and Public Policy.

Alejandro Hernandez is the corporate communications intern at SAGE Publishing. He is currently studying communications at California State University, Northridge.

View all posts by Alejandro Hernandez

Related Articles

National Academies Seeks Experts to Assess 2020 U.S. Census
Announcements
May 7, 2021

National Academies Seeks Experts to Assess 2020 U.S. Census

Read Now
Will the 2020 Census Be the Last of Its Kind?
Public Policy
September 25, 2020

Will the 2020 Census Be the Last of Its Kind?

Read Now
Will We See A More Private, But Less Useful, Census?
Census
September 14, 2020

Will We See A More Private, But Less Useful, Census?

Read Now
Some Americans Don’t Trust the Census
Census
September 14, 2020

Some Americans Don’t Trust the Census

Read Now
A Shortened Census Count Hurts Communities of Color

A Shortened Census Count Hurts Communities of Color

The 2020 Census will count fewer Black Americans, Indigenous peoples, Asian Americans and Americans of Hispanic or Latino origin than actually live in the U.S. That will mean less public money for essential services in their communities, and less representation by elected officials at the state and federal levels.

Read Now
Looking at Censuses Past and Future: A Talk With Andrew Whitby

Looking at Censuses Past and Future: A Talk With Andrew Whitby

In an age where issues of ethnicity and identity matter, as well, as in the United States, political representation, the import and impact of censuses, along with how they are structured, carried out and analyzed, matters greatly. And with the U.S. Census being conducted this year – today, April 1, is Census Day, although coronavirus-marred collection of data will continue until August 14 – this is an apt time to talk with author Andrew Whitby about censuses past, present and future.

Read Now
How Prisoners, Soldiers and Missionaries Complicate the Census

How Prisoners, Soldiers and Missionaries Complicate the Census

There are three groups that have consistently posed problems to the U.S. census throughout history and continue to spark debate to this day: military members, Mormon missionaries and prisoners.

Read Now
0 0 votes
Article Rating
Subscribe
Notify of
guest

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

0 Comments
Newest
Oldest Most Voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments