Libraries and Librarians Get After Participatory Science

Monday, April 20, 2026

Catherine Wong and Megan Bresnahan

Libraries and librarians are increasingly serving as a resource for connecting people with participatory science. This April, libraries around the globe are gearing up to join SciStarter to celebrate “Citizen Science Month”, during which participants worldwide are encouraged to take part in participatory science projects. This year, SciStarter set a goal of encouraging 2.5 million Acts of Science, which can range from online projects to field work, and libraries are important partners in this effort! SciStarter offers librarians a variety of entry points and tools to help them get started. Librarians can take free online workshops that walk them through the steps of planning and promoting events at their library. SciStarter also offers a Library Resource Guide that includes tips, talking points, activities, and promotional materials. In addition, the SciStarter Ambassador Program supports volunteers who want to help libraries build and sustain citizen science activities in their communities, and libraries can join SciStarter to become a Community Hub for Citizen Science.

Map of citizen science and community science library network

The Citizen and Community Science Library Network

One entry point that libraries offer is Participatory Science Kits for checkout. SciStarter provides instructions for librarians to build kits for their library collection, including supplies to purchase, documentation, storage ideas, and labels. Once assembled, libraries can check out the kits to people who want to get involved in citizen science projects. Examples include kits for documenting various species, measuring light pollution, observing pollinators, monitoring air quality, or mapping where mosquitoes live. The Network of the National Library of Medicine (NNLM) for the New England Region has recently made the promotion and support of citizen science a key priority. They are offering support to public and academic libraries around the region for hosting events, providing resources, supporting projects in their communities, and circulating citizen science kits.

Another way libraries are involved is through programming geared towards participatory science. The Hampstead Public Library in Hampstead, NH, is hosting a fun, interactive Earth Day “Animal Spot-a-Thon” on April 22nd. Participants are invited to join a live Zoom session at the library to meet the scientists behind NASA-supported research that uses trail-camera photos to track wildlife.

The Lane Memorial Library in Hampton, NH, is hosting three SciStarter Acts of Science Connected programs during Citizen Science Month. On April 10th, they collaborated with the Smithsonian to host a community transcription event called “Voices of Freedom: Transcribing the Freedmen’s Bureau”. Participants worked on converting historic handwritten materials into searchable text. They will also be hosting an “Animal Spot-A-Thon” on Earth Day, April 22nd, as well as a NASA Science LIVE! on April 29th, called “Comets, Clues, and Our Cosmic Story”. At the latter event, participants will learn how to identify and label comets and other space objects from images provided by the Vera C. Bruin Observatory. Reach out to these libraries to sign up!

At the UNH Library, science librarians offer research support for citizen science projects and for public participation in research on campus and across the state, for researchers and participants. We offer services and support for the full research lifecycle, including strategies for reviewing the literature, managing data, and disseminating research. And if you are looking to get involved with a project, we are here to help you find one. In New Hampshire, Nature Groupie is a great way to connect with local volunteer projects this month, and as mentioned, SciStarter provides another great avenue for people to get involved in projects.

We encourage public libraries interested in hosting citizen science programs to reach out to collaborate with the UNH Library. Lucky for us, we have an in-house citizen scientist. CJ Wong, our Engineering & Physical Sciences Librarian, is also a citizen science researcher! She is the creator and lead researcher for the New England Flying Squirrel Network, and she is always looking for libraries to distribute her flying squirrel nest boxes and build more participation in research across the state. Encourage your local library to connect with her, and maybe you will get your very own nest box.