Recently I came across this stunning quote from James Madison in a fellow librarian’s blog post:

“A popular Government without popular information, or the means of acquiring it, is but a Prologue to a Farce or a Tragedy, or perhaps both. Knowledge will forever govern ignorance, and a people who mean to be their own Governors, must arm themselves with the power which knowledge gives.”

On November 6 UC students along with the all voters will be casting their votes in the General Election. Do you have all the information you need to make the important decisions?

Earlier this month we asked the students who visit Langsam library to share the sources of information they use in order to decide how to vote.

Tumblr was the most popular source followed by Facebook and reddit.  The responses featured online news sources, TV and radio channels and talk shows, newspapers and magazine titles ranging from The New Republic to Huffington Post, and a broad range of websites, including RealClearPolitics , League of Women Voters, and predictably Wikipedia.

Thank you for sharing your favorite sources of information. Here are some resources recommended by librarians.

• For the candidates’ statements, campaign speeches, and press releases visit the American Presidency Project  (University of California, Santa Barbara).
• Missed the debates? Read the debate transcripts at the Commission on Presidential Debates site.
• What about the accuracy of the statements and claims made in the debates and speeches? Go to FactCheck.org or The Washington Times: The Fact Checker
• Haven’t seen enough political ads? Are they effective? Visit the USA TODAY’s Political Ad Tracker.
• For the polling data see Campaign 2012 Publications on Politics and Elections at the Pew Research Center.

The following premium library resources require off-campus access.

• Search news databases or browse newspapers  at UC Libraries.
• Get comprehensive data on American government, politics, history, public policy, and current affairs in CQ Electronic Library, especially the CQ Voting and Elections Collection.

Stay informed and make great decisions!