The Morton-James Public Library in Nebraska City, NE applied for and received a $2,000 ALA grant to promote 2020 Census participation. They partnered with their local Census Bureau representative and created Spanish materials to combat misinformation. While many in-person initiatives were cancelled due to COVID-19, the library increased online outreach and provided Census materials to local businesses. The partnership helped ensure complete and accurate Census participation in their community.

1. Library Census Equity Grant
Morton-James Public Library (MJPL)
923 1st Corso
Nebraska City, NE 68410
morton-jamespubliclibrary.com

2. • November 2019 – A.L.A. grant opportunity
• $2,000 mini-grants to be awarded to 25 U.S. libraries to
promote Census 2020 participation, titled
Library Census Equity Fund
• MJPL applied, together with 500+ other libraries
• Background with CENSUS address prep (“LUCA”)
• Result: ALA awarded 59 grants instead of just 25
• → Map of library recipients →
2019 - Census 2020 Awareness

3. 2019 - Census 2020 Awareness
• MJPL grant application
• Background with CENSUS address prep (“LUCA”)
• If awarded funding, MJPL would:
• Visit churches & workplaces to promote CENSUS
• Highlight the MJPL as a bilingual resource
• Purchase a laptop for additional outreach
• Offer evening access to library computer lab
• Result: ALA awarded 59 grants instead of just 25

4. *MJPL
▼
2019 Census Awareness

5. 2019 Census Awareness

6. JANUARY 2020
• Begin to outline grant activity timeline
• Contacted by Census Bureau Partnership Specialist
• Clarissa Suárez Russell
• Met with Clarissa, local Economic Development
and Tourism entities to share ideas
• Additional meeting with Clarissa at MJPL

7. FEBRUARY 2020
• ROTARY Club program
• School enrollment night
• HEADSTART evening event
• Daycare packets
• CENSUS display/bilingual
• Facebook posts
• Newsletter
• Bookmarks, bookmarks!

8. MARCH 2020
• Partnership Specialist attended MJPL staff meeting
• Local radio morning show – to coincide with week
that households received first mailing
• Statistics in Schools promotion, incl. “Population
Bracketology” for a March madness substitute 
• Two articles in local newspaper
• Created CENSUS “cheatsheet” to place @
computers and on Facebook

9. CENSUS 2020 reminder
RESPOND ONLINE: my2020census.gov
You can watch a You Tube® tutorial:
English: https://youtu.be/vCM0XrSynFw
Español: https://youtu.be/9OUDMYyo9T8
Need more help?/¿Mas ayuda? Call/llame:
English: 844-330-2020
Español: 844-468-2020
You can also respond by mail or phone.
También se puede hacer por correo o por teléfono.
Everyone counts! ¡Todos contamos!

10. MORE MARCH 2020
• Several planned initiatives cancelled/postponed
• Promotion/display table at local factories & parent-teacher conferences
• Extended library hours once CENSUS mailings received in households
to provide access to computer lab for online responses
• Church visits
• Bilingual story hour – postponed/virtual version during SRP?
• MID-MARCH PIVOT DUE TO CORONAVIRUS
• All programming cancelled as of March 18, 2020
• Increased Facebook postings
• Spanish materials to local Latino general store, “El Mercadito”
• Alternative service model: reserved materials—grab ‘n’ go in lobby
• CENSUS bookmarks and other materials in all outgoing bags
• Enhanced CENSUS display moved to lobby

11. APRIL 2020
• April 1 – official
CENSUS day, no
fooling!
• Continued Facebook
postings
• More materials to El
Mercadito

12. CENSUS DAY

13. APRIL & MAY 2020
• Frequent visits to El Mercadito store, to give more materials
“Nada que temer, mucho que ganar” = Nothing to fear, much/a lot to gain/win

14. MEDIA MENTION
Libraries and the Census in the
Time of COVID-19
by Meg Brown
Apr 10, 2020 | Filed in News
FIGHTING FAKE CENSUS NEWS (excerpt, 3rd paragraph)
Another major concern for library staff is combating census misinformation. Denise Davis, a
librarian at the Morton-James Public Library (MJPL) in Nebraska City, NE, told LJ that due to a
substantial increase in the local Latinx population since 2010, MJPL had been particularly
focused on preparing Spanish language materials prior to COVID-19. Of particular concern
was combating the rumor that the 2020 Census asks if respondents are U.S. citizens (it does
not). With the library closed, Davis is bringing the Spanish materials she had gathered,
including postcards produced by the Census Bureau and the Census Bureau’s phone number
for assistance in Spanish, to local Latino markets.
https://www.libraryjournal.com/?detailStory=Libraries-and-Census-in-Time-of-COVID-19

15. ¡Mas del Mercadito!

16. Odds ‘n’ ends…
• Grant funds used to purchase laptop, earbuds, and make MANY, many
color bookmarks and photocopies of other official CENSUS materials,
including EVERYONE COUNTS!/¡TODOS CONTAMOS! story/activity
book
• Participated in webinars on Census 2020, including NCompass Live of
March 11, and ALA’s on March 23, 2020
• ALA contacted MJPL to provide information to Smartcities Dive article,
https://www.smartcitiesdive.com/news/smart-city-library-census-count-
2020-strategies-coronavirus – Published on Census Day, April 1, 2020
• Library Journal request for information
• Facebook posts continue, including Nebraska Counts - image

17. STATISTICS IN SCHOOLS

18. EVERYONE COUNTS!
• ….EN ESPAÑOL

19. NEBRASKA COUNTS!

20. ← → ← →
• Great partnership with Census Bureau through Partnership
Specialist Clarissa Suárez Russell
• Frequent contact and constant flow of materials & support
• Partnership Specialist met with many community leaders
• A.L.A. very flexible due to pandemic – extended deadline
for grant report
PARTNERSHIP

21. FUTURE PLANS
• Continue to promote participation
• Facebook posts
• Summer Reading Program – virtual bilingual storytime,
CENSUS swag, coloring pages – other great CENSUS
resources on Sesame Street and Dr. Seuss web sites
• We have until October–final day to respond is October 31.
• HAVE YOU COMPLETED YOUR QUESTIONNAIRE?
• EVERYONE COUNTS!/¡TODOS CONTAMOS!
Thank you ALA!

22. • Again, thank you A.L.A. for creating the Library Census Equity Fund.
• Again, thank you to the U.S. Census Bureau for your Partnership
Specialists on staff; specifically Clarissa Suárez Russell in our region.
• Thank you to the Nebraska Library Commission, and NCompass Live
for this opportunity to share.
Denise Davis
Morton-James Public Library
Nebraska City, NE
morton-jamespubliclibrary.com
dmdmjlib@gmail.com