Citizen Science: Libraries as Community Hubs for Citizen Science

Arizona State University, in partnership with Arizona State Library and NISE Net, will develop a field-tested, replicable, low-cost toolkit of citizen science resources for public libraries. The project team of librarians, citizen science experts, informal STEM educators, practitioners, and scientists, will: 1) develop and evaluate citizen science toolkits that will be available for and through the public library partners; 2) create associated resources to train, support, and communicate with librarians and citizen scientists; and 3) work with stakeholders to create a plan to scale the model to interested libraries, statewide then nationally. The project will leverage SciStarter, an online community that brings together science researchers and citizen scientists, with a database of over 1,600 citizen science projects. Summative evaluation will assess the library staffs' knowledge of citizen science, their capacities, and sense of self-efficacy in engaging patrons in citizen science activities, and will also measure the extent of patrons' participation in citizen science as a result of the library programming.

Libraries are starting to become more involved in citizen science, creating a hub for helping people get involved in research.

Cornerstones works with public libraries providing programs and resources that help people understand how science and technology affects their daily lives and the world around them.

Citizen science refers to multiple ways that non-scientists engage with scientific research efforts. The NCSU Libraries supports campus citizen science and shares its values of openness, access, and community engagement and participation.

The NHMLA has amassed one of the world’s most extensive and valuable collections of natural and cultural history — more than 35 million objects, some as old as 4.5 billion years. Its curatorial staff not only cares for those collections, but uses them for groundbreaking scientific and historic research.

SSI has been deeply involved in science education since its formation in 1992, producing pioneering projects ranging from exhibits, to digital learning experiences, to workshops designed to engage scientists in education reform. In May 2010, SSI expanded its educational efforts through the launch of NCIL.

Our collections—comprising more than 1.9 million objects including seminal art works, historical artifacts, ethnographic objects, natural specimens, and photographs—and our programs explore and reveal the factors that shape California character and identity, from its extraordinary natural landscapes, to successive waves of migration, to its unique culture of creativity and innovation.