The Wallace Library is Here for all Your Election Questions

With the 2020 election quickly approaching, there are a lot of questions surrounding campaigns, candidates and voting in the midst of a global pandemic. With misinformation floating around social media and other websites it can be hard to determine what is fact and what is fiction. Leading up to the election, the library wants to help you get your questions answered before you hand in that ballot!

An essential part of navigating the flood of available information is having a well equipped box of tools for evaluation. The video series Online Verification Skills can help you assess the reliability of sources and determine the veracity of the claims made in articles, campaign ads and social media posts. Wondering about the bias in a particular news source? Check out the Interactive Media Bias Chart or search for the publication on AllSides.com. Trying to make sense of the facts? Try a search on FactCheck.org, a project of the Annenberg Public Policy Center at the University of Pennsylvania.

With our mission rooted in connecting Wheaton with the world of ideas and knowledge, the library is a trusted source of information for all of your tough questions. Our News Guide, which will connect you to a variety of local, regional and national news sources, including the Boston Globe and the Wall Street Journal, is a great place to start your research. For a deeper dive into an issue, check out our Library Catalog for books, documentaries and other materials on topics including current events, the US government, political biographies and more.

Did you know that you can get free access to the New York Times through Wheaton? All you have to do is create an account using your Wheaton email. If you are off campus, log onto the VPN using instructions available on insideWheaton (login required) first. You will then have access through their website and apps.

You’ve also got access to thousands of newspapers from around the world as well as local papers like the Cape Cod Times, Christian Science Monitor, Jewish Advocate, Lowell Sun and Worcester Telegram & Gazette with your Boston Public Library ecard, available to any Wheaton community member.

Mail-in registration deadlines have passed or are fast approaching in many states, but many states allow you to register on election day (MA and RI do not). Not sure if you’re registered to vote? Check your registration at Vote.org, where you can also register and request an absentee ballot. If you are early voting, you can track your ballot in many states, including Massachusetts and Rhode Island, to make sure that it has been officially processed by your town.

And to deal with the stress of the election, sign up for the Headspace app for iOS and Android to get over a thousand hours of mindfulness and sleep content—available for free for all Boston Public Library members—and check out the rest of their health and wellness resources.

Need help finding or evaluating information? Have questions about the voting process? Chat with us between 9:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Monday to Friday or submit a question and we will get you an answer. And be sure to follow Wheaton’s Center for Social Justice and Community Impact on Instagram and keep in touch with the latest happenings on campus as the election nears.