Public libraries embrace citizen science: Strengths and challenges

Can public libraries become hubs for citizen science? In line with the principles of citizen science, this question was answered collaboratively with librarians from the Barcelona Network of Public Libraries who performed two hands-on activities. One activity was a training course taken by 30 librar...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Library & information science research 2021-04, Vol.43 (2), p.101090, Article 101090
Main Authors: Cigarini, Anna, Bonhoure, Isabelle, Vicens, Julián, Perelló, Josep
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Citizen social science
Co-creation
Engagement
Information literacy
Learning
Librarians
Public libraries
Public library
Public participation
Science
Science education
Scientific citizenship
Scientific literacy
Self-efficacy
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Summary:Can public libraries become hubs for citizen science? In line with the principles of citizen science, this question was answered collaboratively with librarians from the Barcelona Network of Public Libraries who performed two hands-on activities. One activity was a training course taken by 30 librarians from 24 different libraries which enabled them to envisage citizen science implementation at each library. The other activity consisted of co-creating a citizen social science project and involved 40 library users, seven librarians from three different cities, and professional scientists. The analysis considers the perspectives of both librarians and users, through participant observation, surveys, and a focus group to identify strengths and challenges. The overall results suggest that public libraries can offer leadership in the promotion of citizen science and contribute to the mission of public libraries to act as local community hubs. The main challenges identified were related to the complexity of collaboration, uncertainty regarding research co-creation, and participant retention strategies. •Public libraries can offer leadership in the promotion and implementation of citizen science initiatives.•Citizen science helps to attract new users, increase social cohesion, and improve perceptions of a library's social value.•Citizen science encourages users to address science-based community issues alongside scientists.•Soft skills are crucial to deal with the challenges raised by co-creation processes and participant retention.
ISSN:0740-8188
1873-1848
DOI:10.1016/j.lisr.2021.101090