ARPHA Proceedings 6: 153-158, doi: 10.3897/ap.e126471
Transforming research and public libraries into catalysts for citizen science
expand article infoKristian H. Nielsen‡, Thomas Kaarsted§, Anne Kathrine Overgaard|, Anna Louise Okholm|, Alisa Martek, Mette Fentz Haastrup§
‡ Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark§ University Library of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark| University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark¶ National and University Library in Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia

Corresponding author: Kristian H. Nielsen ( khn@css.au.dk )

Corresponding author: Thomas Kaarsted ( thk@bib.sdu.dk )

© Kristian H. Nielsen, Thomas Kaarsted, Anne Kathrine Overgaard, Anna Louise Okholm, Alisa Martek, Mette Fentz Haastrup.
This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY 4.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
Citation: Nielsen KH, Kaarsted T, Overgaard AK, Okholm AL, Martek A, Haastrup MF (2024) Transforming research and public libraries into catalysts for citizen science. ARPHA Proceedings 6: 153-158. https://doi.org/10.3897/ap.e126471
Open Access
Abstract
This paper reports the outcomes of an interactive workshop held at the ECSA2024 Conference in Vienna, focusing on the evolving role of libraries in supporting and advancing citizen science initiatives. Participants examined libraries as proactive stakeholders in citizen science, detailing their potential as catalysts and knowledge brokers. Key discussions include the need for dedicated library staff roles, specialized training, and enhanced connections between public and research libraries for resource sharing. The workshop also explored alignments between open science and citizen science, emphasizing community engagement through locally relevant projects to boost public participation and impact. Overall, the workshop underscored the critical role libraries play in the ecosystem of citizen science, providing strategic and operational insights for their enhanced involvement.
Keywords
citizen science, libraries as catalysts, knowledge brokering, community engagement, open science