Reader. Voter. Ready.

Libraries support literacy and lifelong learning for patrons of all ages; connect eligible voters with information and opportunities to make their voices heard at the polls; and promote year-round civic participation. Libraries help communities across America get Reader Voter Ready!

Voting is one of the greatest privileges and responsibilities of citizenship in the United States. Yet, turnout in national elections is consistently lower than two-thirds of eligible voters. Participation rates among multiple demographic groups and in state or local elections are often lower still. There is frequent talk about the critical role of libraries in our democracy. What does that look like in practice? Libraries are nonpartisan, but they are not indifferent. As institutions that provide access to information, resources, programs, and public spaces for all members of a community, libraries are a cornerstone for civic engagement and more important than ever.

Voter Engagement Resources

Voter Engagement Guide

ALA supports the work of all types of libraries and partner organizations to increase voter engagement in all communities. Read more and find resources and ideas in ALA's Voter Engagement Guide!

Read. Voter. Ready. ALA American Library Association

Customizable Graphics

From bookmarks and social media graphics to quote cards and event templates, we have customizable images your library needs to get patrons Reader, Voter, Ready!

Reader. Voter. Ready. Inspiring Future Voters: A Booklist for Young Readers. ALSC (Association for Library Service to Children), Booklist Publications, and ALA (American Library Association)

Inspiring Future Voters Booklist

Designed by the Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC) in collaboration with Booklist, this resource is for educators, library workers, and families serving youth populations of all ages to help instill the importance and impact of voting. Featuring over 2 dozen titles for age groups birth through young adult, this list helps introduce the topics of elections, civic participation, and democracy.

Inspiring Future Voters: A Booklist for Young Readers

Libraries and Voters: Local Leaders Tip Sheet

Use this one-page handout with your local election commission, elected officials, leaders, and organizational partners to highlight the ways libraries support voter participation and education

Voters Count on Libraries: The Numbers

How do libraries support voters? Every day, across the country, through registrations, candidate forums, civic education programs, and more. See the data in Voters Count on Libraries.

Resources for Collaboration

Election Collaboration Toolkit

Designed in collaboration with the League of Women Voters, this toolkit provides resources and tips for building on-the-ground collaboration with community organizations like local LWV chapters!

National Voter Registration Day

Libraries can celebrate this civic holiday by hosting a nonpartisan voter registration event or partnering with another organization to bring voter registration to the library. NVRD provides promotional materials and guidance about hosting a successful event. NVRD and the suite of civic holidays help libraries ensure that communities are informed and ready to make their voices heard in local, state, and national elections.

VOTE411 for Libraries

This Reader-Voter-Ready-branded VOTE411 page from the League of Women Voters enables voters to register or check registration and learn what’s on their ballot.

Webinars

Getting Our Communities Reader Voter Ready [recording]

Library leaders from across the country - and across library types - join 2024-25 ALA President Cindy Hohl to discuss how their libraries are getting patrons registered, informed, & ready to vote.

League of Women Voters & America’s Libraries: Partners to Count On [recording]

Highlighting local library/LWV partnerships collaborating on civic education, voter engagement, running for office, and dealing with dis/misinformation, speakers share actionable ideas and key learnings from their work together.

Additional Resources

State Voting & Election Toolkits-ALA's Government Documents Round Table

Developed by a team of librarians from across the country, the toolkits provide state-by-state voting and election information, including registration forms, polling places, deadlines, and more. General resources such as lesson plans and voting hotlines are included as well. GODORT (Government Documents Round Table) created these resources so that librarians can use as-is or adapt to meet the information needs of their libraries.

Voting and Election Resources for Teachers and Students-ALA's Government Documents Round Table

This collection of civic education resources from government agencies includes lesson plans, overviews of federal government, and resources to help students learn how to be informed voters.

Absentee Ballot Day Toolkit

This Libguide was created by Gwendolyn Reece at American University and provides comprehensive instructions for hosting an event for voters who live on a college campus or away from their permanent address. Reece also developed a state by state guide to requesting an absentee ballot.

Media Literacy in the Library: A Guide for Library Practitioners-ALA

This guide offers resources and ideas to plan programs and activities to teach media literacy skills to adults and to integrate these skills into programming already in place at libraries. Chapters include architecture of the internet, civics, misinformation and disinformation, and more.