The results of the 2020 Census will allocate billions of dollars in federal funding to local communities over the next decade, including more than $1 billion to libraries. As of late July 2020, only 62.7 percent of US households had completed the self-response form by mail, online or by phone.
The U.S. Census Bureau is ending counting efforts on September 30, a month sooner than previously announced, but it’s not too late to complete the questionnaire! In fact, it’s more important than ever, especially for historically undercounted groups. Young children, people of color, indigenous people, urban and rural low-income households have been under-represented at disproportionately high rates in past Census counts.
To help in those efforts, American Library Association has partnered with actress Auli’i Cravalho, star of the animated film Moana, to remind families of the importance of completing the 2020 Census. Watch as Cravalho reads WE COUNT! A Census Counting Book for Kids, (and the Grownups That Love Them) (Simply Put Media 2020), an interactive counting book with illustrations of diverse American families by artists representing their own cultural heritage.
The WE COUNT! book and other great resources from Simply Put are available below to help promote Census participation. Check the WE COUNT! website for even more resources.
WE COUNT! A Census Counting Book for Kids is available as a free download in15 languages!
WE COUNT! Book for Children in English (PDF)
WE COUNT Book for Children in Spanish (PDF)
WE COUNT Book for Children in English (Flipbook version)
WE COUNT Book for Children in Spanish (Flipbook version)
WE COUNT! Activity Book (PDF)WE COUNT! Coloring Pages (PDF)
WE COUNT! Printable Placemat (PDF)
Printable Cut-out Characters from WE COUNT! Book (PDF)
English