ASU partnering with Public Libraries on growing Citizen Science
While America’s universities and communities colleges are grappling with establishing a place for the burgeoning Citizen Science movement, Arizona State University (ASU) is pioneering a program to make America’s public library system a locus for citizen science activism.
According to Lisa Peet’s (Associate Editor, News for Library Journal) excellent article; ‘Arizona State University (ASU) is partnering with Phoenix-area libraries to develop field-tested, replicable, low-cost toolkits of citizen science resources for public libraries. Funded by a 2017 National Leadership Grant for Libraries from the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), researchers from ASU’s School for the Future of Innovation in Society (SFIS) and librarians from ASU’s Hayden Library, on its Tempe campus, have joined forces with Arizona State Library, the citizen science hub SciStarter, and the National Informal STEM [Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics] Education Network (NISE Net).
Building on ASU’s experience in citizen science work, the interdisciplinary team will develop toolkits to offer multiple entry points for different skill levels and to all kinds of patrons. Six public libraries, serving a mix of populations and ages, from urban to rural, will contribute their input and experience as well. The toolkits will help support public libraries as community hubs for citizen scientists of all kinds.’
See Lisa Peet’s article at http://lj.libraryjournal.com/2017/10/academic-libraries/arizona-state-partner-public-libraries-citizen-science/# .
