NNLM Reading Club: Citizen Science
Citizen Science
Citizen science is research done by everyday people, anytime, anywhere, to help answer questions scientists can’t answer alone. In order to turn curiosity into impact, Citizen Science Month is recognized annually in April. Community libraries can serve as a hub for citizen science by mobilizing patrons to collect data and spread the word about their efforts, and participants can develop a deeper understanding of scientific and health literacy through their active involvement in the scientific process.
Guides
The Field Guide to Citizen Science: How You Can Contribute to Scientific Research and Make a Difference | Darlene Cavalier, Catherine Hoffman, and Caren Cooper | Timber Press | 2020 | 188 pages | ISBN 978-1604698473
The Library and Community Guide to Citizen Science (PDF)
Video
Air Quality Monitoring for Citizen Science
The National Institute for Environmental Health Sciences has a mission to discover how the environment affects people in order to promote healthier lives. Take part in their mission.
Library Programming
SciStarter
The Network of the National Library of Medicine (NNLM), a program of the National Library of Medicine (NLM), has expanded its partnership with SciStarter and the School for the Future of Innovation in Society at Arizona State University to support Citizen Science Month. Visit scistarter.org/nlm to find projects to help your community explore the impact of the environment on everyone's health.
Kids Environment Kids Health
Engage young citizen scientists with the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) resource for kids, parents, and teachers to find fun and educational materials related to health, science, and the environment we live in today.
Libraries Transform
Because Anyone Can Be A Citizen Scientist Graphics for print, web, or social media 11 x 17 Poster with room for logo Bookmark | Instagram | Twitter | Facebook
CitizenScience.gov
CitizenScience.gov is an official government website designed to accelerate the use of crowdsourcing and citizen science across the U.S. government. The site provides a portal to three key components: a catalog of federally supported citizen science projects, a toolkit to assist federal practitioners with designing and maintaining their projects, and a gateway to a community of hundreds of citizen science practitioners and coordinators across government as called for in the Crowdsourcing and Citizen Science Act of 2016 (15 USC 3724). You can learn more about the activities of the Federal Community of Practice on Crowd Sourcing and Citizen Science in this two-page overview document.