Crowdsourcing and Citizen Science

Citizen Science Month - Resources for Libraries

Citizen Science Month is observed annually in April to celebrate and promote all things citizen science: amazing discoveries, incredible volunteers, hardworking practitioners, inspiring projects, and anything else citizen science-related! This global celebration includes events hosted by libraries, institutions, community groups, museums, and individuals all around the world.

The Network of the National Library of Medicine (NNLM) has partnered with SciStarter to support Citizen Science Month in April 2020. In 2019, the two organizations worked collaboratively to promote Citizen Science Day in libraries, to increase awareness of citizen science in communities across the nation, and help individuals explore the impact of their environment on health.

In 2020, during the month of April, NNLM and SciStarter seek to host citizen science activities in select cities and would like to engage the NNLM community in this effort.

How to Host an Event

Here’s how your library can host an event:

1. Sign up with this form. 
2. Receive a program kit with instructions on facilitating an event
3. Set a date and register your event on the SciStarter website
4. Have fun with Citizen Science!

Featured Projects

Get inspiration for activities you can plan by reviewing these featured projects that SciStarter and the NLM curated at https://scistarter.org/nlm. Additional resources to support Citizen Science Month and other citizen science activities in your region can also be found at CitizenScienceMonth.org. 

Through citizen science and crowdsourcing, NNLM engages communities in addressing societal needs and accelerating biomedical science, technology, and innovation. Community participation in the research process also builds trust between NNLM and the communities that we serve.