This year SJCPLS is helping with the 2020 census as part of St. Johns County’s Complete Count Committee. The census is very important, as its data helps determine political representation, as well as funding for services and infrastructure in our community, including health care, senior centers, jobs, roads, schools and businesses, and libraries. More than $675 billion in federal funding flows back to the states and local communities each year.

For the first time in census history, you can respond to the census online. Your responses to the 2020 Census are safe, secure and protected by federal law. Your answers will be used to produce statistics. They cannot be shared with immigration enforcement agencies or law enforcement agencies. They cannot be used against you by any government agency or court in any way.

Libraries are uniquely positioned to help ensure that communities are accurately counted. Libraries are a great place for people to complete the census questionnaire online – especially those who don’t have internet access at home or on their phones – and to get accurate information about the census. SJCPLS has computers in all of our libraries available for you to use.

It’s not too late, Census 2020 will wrap up in October. The current census return rate across Florida is about 59%. We can do better!

So, come into your local library to learn more about the 2020 Census, or use one of our public computers to complete your census questionnaire. With six branch locations throughout St. Johns County, you are sure to find a library close by!

Sincerely,