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Thanks to strong student response, the Civic Literacy Initiative that launched in Cheng Library last year is growing this semester, with additional workshops and programming in support of the University’s commitment to civic engagement. By participating in the library’s Civic Literacy events, students can earn digital WP LEADS Badges – previously available only for programming organized by the Office of Campus Activities, Service, and Leadership (CASL).
“The library’s mission statement says we are the knowledge center of the University, so, to me, whether that’s in the classroom or whether it’s an extra-curricular or co-curricular activity, the library has resources that can support or lead in those areas,” says WP Reference and Outreach Librarian Gary Marks ’10, MA ’13.
Upcoming events on campus include: “From Voting Rights to Governing: Women Rise to Power,” which includes a documentary screening and discussion led by political science professor Wendy Wright; a Census Awareness workshop; voter registration outreach; and back by popular demand – the Voting 101 workshop.
Voting 101 aims to help students overcome first-time voter anxiety by providing a mock voting booth with real sample ballots, and staff that helps students look up their voter registration status and polling places. The library team also created an electronic voting resource guide for students, which they can easily access through a QR code scanned on their smartphones.
Jessica Asencio ‘20 says she found the event to be “very informative,” teaching her that New Jersey offers early voting, for example. She especially recommends it to students on campus who have never voted. “Many mistakes can take place in the voting process, so I think it’s important to inform ourselves to the best of our abilities so those mistakes don’t influence an election,” she explains.
A great byproduct of the Civic Literacy Initiative, Marks says, is that Cheng Library and CASL have strengthened their ties; library staff is now contributing to some of CASL’s civic engagement activities, too. In November, for example, the library took part in the annual Green-A-Fair environmental sustainability event on campus. In addition to bringing all sorts of reading materials of interest to environmental science buffs, the library team created an electronic sustainability guide with curated videos, journals, and web resources about environmental sustainability.
Through its Civic Literacy Initiative, Cheng Library has also been partnering with the Office of Alumni Relations to offer webinars for WP alumni. A recent one that sought to educate grads about protecting children in a digital world was so popular that a Part Two is being offered this spring. An alumni webinar on how to become informed voters is slated for September. Overall, Marks says, the Cheng Library team is making a more concerted push toward fostering alumni lifelong learning.
“The traditional library, where you come in and get books and that’s it – that’s a thing of the past,” says Marks, who is also an adjunct professor of political science on campus. “Libraries are dynamic now; the library is very service-oriented and we are always exploring new and innovative ways to serve the William Paterson community. Bridging that with civic engagement opportunities for our students? I’m a big proponent.”
