Examining how to offer impactful civic engagement opportunities requires staff to refine a broad range of topics to those most pertinent to the communities we serve while staying conscientious of their delicate and emotionally-charged nature. The criminal justice system and the role media plays in our lives are just two of the issues explored by Informed and Engaged. At the heart of the initiative is the mission to disseminate quality information to a diverse populace in Florida’s second-largest county.

The library system collaborates with the Criminal Justice Commission, the Society of Professional Journalists, League of Women Voters and the Florida Bar Association to tackle issues such as fake news, addiction, criminal justice and race, and to provide civic education on the Bill of Rights, voting practices and branches of the federal government. Of particular note is the “Fake News Game Show” — an interactive approach to learning news literacy — and the “Read Like a Commissioner” series.

Between February and May of 2019, 138 individuals attended lectures, panels, book discussions, games and film showings highlighting civic and social issues. A Read Like a Commissioner campaign was launched with much fanfare to connect communities to their seven commissioners and county administrator through the sharing of reading recommendations, and was expanded to include six county departments. Moving forward, library staff will be trained in facilitation, applying National Issues Forum tools and guides to engage more community members.