Abstract
Libraries are local community centers and hubs for learning, with
increasing numbers of public libraries responding to the need to
increase science literacy and support 21st century skills by adding STEM
programs and resources for patrons of all ages. The Institute for Global
Environmental Strategies (IGES), through the NASA Earth Science
Education Collaborative (NESEC) cooperative agreement, is working with
several libraries to pilot and implement collaborative models for
engaging their local communities in STEM and citizen science. During
spring and summer 2019, eight public library systems across the United
States piloted activities and programs related to NASA’s GLOBE Observer
citizen science app, which enables citizen scientists to contribute
observations that complement NASA Earth observations. These include
activities related to citizen scientist observations of Clouds
(photographing clouds and recording sky observations), Mosquito Habitat
Mapper (identifying water sources that are potential mosquito habitat
and the presence of mosquito larvae; sampling and counting larvae; and
using a clip on magnifier to identify the type of mosquito), and Land
Cover (photographing the landscape and classifying land cover). Examples
include the Pioneer Library System in Oklahoma, Southwest Oklahoma City
Public Library, that is implementing GO Oklahoma! a citizen science
campaign to collect GLOBE Observer Mosquito Habitat Mapper observations
to support research by partner scientists at University of
Oklahoma-Norman and Southern Nazarene University. The Los Angeles Public
Library System has been field testing GLOBE Observer activities as part
of its Neighborhood Science Program and will be incorporating these
resources into circulating kits the library is developing for citizen
scientists related to GLOBE Clouds and Mosquito Habitat Mapper that they
will be piloting with Los Angelenos during fall 2019. Insights from the
library pilot testing and programs include promising practices,
requested resources, programming ideas and approaches, and particularly
approaches to leveraging NASA subject matter experts and networks, to
support local library programming.