Abstract
The 2024 UK General Election was called at short notice on 22 May 2024. Polling took place on 4 July 2024. This poster submission proposes looking at how a Scottish further education library used a LibGuide to help inform their student base on engaging with the democratic process, and signposting reliable sources of information.
Context: young people are increasingly disengaged in the democratic process (Uberoi and Johnston, 2022, citing The Electoral Commission, 2019). The Library team at the City of Glasgow College works with students of all ages, but primarily with those in the post-secondary school phase. This is the age range least likely to be enrolled to vote, despite the lower voting age in Scotland.
The timing of the general election made it more pressing to reach students before they finished their academic year, and to encourage electoral enrolment within a tight time frame. Students who study away from home are less likely to enrol to vote. Additionally, students had to ensure they had valid photo ID – a new requirement in Scotland.
The rise of misinformation and disinformation on many social media channels has been a growing concern (The Electoral Commission, 2024). As a library service, we drafted a Libguide, “Voting and taking part in elections” to offer students a range of unbiased and reliable sources of advice, information and fact checkers. We also worked with our Student Association colleagues to reach as many students as possible.
By using a LibGuide, we could share information quickly and update if needed. It sat alongside our faculty and topic guides and drew on our current awareness resources of newspaper and periodical subscriptions to promote a wide range of viewpoints. This meant we could reach out to students who may no longer be studying on campus as the end of term approached.
Overall, this was a positive experience, helping students learn about the electoral process and engaging with some who had never voted. The LibGuide can be adapted to include a wider range of elections and underpins the college’s commitment to encourage our students to be active citizens (City of Glasgow College, 2024).
References
City of Glasgow College (2024) City Attributes. Available at: https://www.cityofglasgowcollege.ac.uk/city-attributes (Accessed: 14 November 2024).
Electoral Commission (2024) Public Attitudes. Available at: https://www.electoralcommission.org.uk/research-reports-and-data/public-attitudes/public-attitudes-2024 (Accessed: 14 November 2024).
Uberoi, E. and Johnston, N. (2022) Political disengagement in the UK: Who is disengaged? Available at: https://researchbriefings.files.parliament.uk/documents/CBP-7501/CBP-7501.pdf (Accessed: 14 November 2024).
