In the months leading up to Election Day in the U.S., libraries across the country have stepped up to educate and empower patrons to exercise their civic duty. Not only have libraries served as safe polling places and ballot drop-off locations, they have helped educate residents about the voting process and current issues via online resource hubs, community discussions, communications campaigns and more.

With the presidential race still too close to call, libraries are also taking the lead to address anxiety, confusion and misinformation in their communities as the final votes are tallied.

The Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh's Community Resource Guide: 2020 Election offers community members a timeline of "What Happens Next?" as well as detailed information about what it would mean if the election is contested.

Brooklyn Public Library is hosting a "What Just Happened?" virtual event on November 5, engaging a diverse panel of authors in discussing the post-election moment.

Cleveland Public Library provided a curated list of meditation videos and e-audiobooks via OverDrive to help calm patrons' nerves.

Johnson County Public Library offered patrons a chance to take a break from election results to view their "Night of a Thousand Authors" series on their YouTube page.

Prince George's County Memorial Library System is encouraging patrons to ease their election anxieties by engaging with the library's guided meditation series on YouTube.

How has your library been helping residents manage election anxiety and information gaps? Let us know by emailing media@urbanlibraries.org! ULC will continue to highlight member activities through our social media.

Aligning with Global Entrepreneurship Week 2020, ULC will host a live chat via Twitter (@UrbanLibCouncil) from 3-4 p.m. ET on Wednesday, November 18. This chat will provide an opportunity for libraries to come together during the COVID-19 crisis to raise awareness of their critical role in supporting entrepreneurs and inclusive economic recovery. 

UPS Manager of Executive Communications Janet Stovall is one of the few executive speechwriters of color. A self-described cultural conversationalist, she is perhaps best known for her TED talk challenging business to get serious about inclusion, which has been viewed over 1.5 million times.

On November 19, please join ULC library leaders for a critical conversation, "Getting Serious About Institutional Equity." Stovall will introduce a head-on approach she has developed to address systemic bias in the workplace and engage attendees in a dynamic discussion about strategies and straightforward solutions for dismantling institutional racism and inequity.

HPL takes its place as the world’s top public library system in total digital circulation after hitting one million digital e-book and e-audiobook checkouts in 2020. “Hamiltonians are the reason we’ve reached this milestone – and two months earlier than expected,” said Lisa Weaver, director of collections.

When the pandemic hit Sarasota last spring, the biggest need community members expressed was for access to the internet and devices. Responding to that need, the library is now launching a new mobile hotspot lending program. Starting next month, each of the library's 10 locations will have 11 mobile hotspots available for patrons to check out.

This week, our "Faces on the Front Line" photo series highlights the great work of staff members from Charlotte Mecklenburg Library, Hartford Public Library, Anne Arundel County Public Library, Palo Alto City Library, Saint Paul Public Library, Barrie Public Library, Pima County Public Library and Toledo Lucas County Public Library.

We encourage you to submit any images or stories from your team's work on the front line of COVID-19 to media@urbanlibraries.org. This series will end in December 2020, so please be sure to share stories if you haven't already!

Public libraries have the power to directly reach and support high-need families while simultaneously advancing race and social equity at a systemic, community wide level. As communities face even greater challenges due to COVID-19, there is a critical need for libraries to intentionally elevate their unique role as community leaders for anti-racism and social justice efforts in order to build supports, provide opportunities, mitigate risks and promote strong outcomes for vulnerable children and families.

Join ULC on November 10 for an in-depth discussion on how communities can better leverage libraries as essential partners for supporting at-risk, marginalized and diverse families with the highest need, while also strengthening social justice outcomes for the community at large.