Get Ready for Citizen Science Month!

Posted by Sarah Levin-Lederer on March 14th, 2025 Posted in: Blog
Tags: Citizen Science, environmental health

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Coming up in April, Citizen Science Month celebrating people-powered science! Interested in getting started with Citizen Science in your community? Check out the resources below.

What is citizen science?

Citizen Science, also known as community science or participatory science, allows everyone to take part in the scientific process to address real-world problems and questions.

From the NOAA Citizen Science Page: “This may include forming research questions, conducting scientific experiments, collecting and analyzing data, interpreting results, making new discoveries, developing technologies and applications, and solving complex problems.”

Citizen Science can help improve data collection while also engaging individuals, families and communities in the scientific process increasing people’s understanding of science and its impact on everyday life.

Citizen Science and Libraries

Find resources to introduce Citizen Science to your library and communities including a list of curated projects, networking opportunities, kits designed for library projects, and more. You can also find other libraries and organizations near you who may already be involved in Citizen Science.

NNLM Funded Citizen Science Projects have included:

• Engaging AZ Public Libraries as Community Hubs for Citizen Science
• Empowering communities to improve indoor air quality through ventilation information: Connecticut pilot project
• Empowering communities with indoor air quality information: Massachusetts pilot project

Learn more about Libraries and Citizen Science with the NOAA webinar Libraries as Community Hubs for Citizen Science: How SciStarter is Supporting the Movement.

Resources for you

Learn more about Citizen Science with the NNLM Crowdsourcing and Citizen Science guide.

Get a FREE Citizen Science Kit for your library from R7 to help you get started. Request a kit today while supplies last!

Interested in introducing Citizen Science through books and book clubs? Check out the NNLM Reading Club’s Citizen Science Resources.

Learn more about Citizen Science with recorded classes from NNLM including:

• Citizen Science in the Academic Library
• Libraries as Hubs for Citizen Science: Partnering with Academia to Improve the Health of Communities

SciStarter: Find projects for all ages on a variety of topics and help your community contribute to local, regional and even global knowledge.

In April, Participate in Citizen Science Month activities with SciStarter.

Get involved with the Association for Advancing Participatory Science to stay up to date on conferences, regional meetings, resources, networking opportunities and more.