With the support of IMLS funding, Civic Switchboard aims to develop the capacity of academic and public libraries in civic data ecosystems. The project team has announced a series of institutes taking place throughout 2024 that may be of interest to library workers engaged with digital research support and data literacy instruction.
From the announcement:
Through our Civic Data Literacy for Libraries: A Civic Switchboard Institute project, we will host six regional and one online institutes in 2024 for library workers interested in serving as intermediaries between community members and civic data and developing civic data roles for their libraries.
Institute Schedule
- April 18-19, 2024 : Pittsburgh, PA Institute (Apply here)
- May 13-14, 2024: Chapel Hill, NC Institute (Apply here)
- June 27-28, 2024: Boston, MA Institute
- July 11-12, 2024: Portland, OR Institute
- August 1-2, 2024: South Bend, IN Institute
- October 17-18, 2024: Houston, TX Institute
- November 7 and 14, 2024: Online Institute
There are several goals for the Civic Switchboard Institutes, including:
- To expand a community of practice focused on libraries and civic data and connect regional library workers;
- To support participants in understanding their civic data ecosystem and potential roles for their libraries;
- To connect participants with exemplars of library civic data intermediary work by featuring the work of host sites;
- To foster critical data literacies through engagement with topics in civic data that speak to power, social justice, and responsible data practices to mitigate harms.
Library workers from public, academic, government, or other types of libraries are eligible to apply. Through the support of an IMLS grant, participants not local to the in-person institutes are eligible to receive an honorarium to offset travel expenses.
Applications for the Pittsburgh, PA, institute in April are due before February 16, 2024. Applications for the Chapel Hill, NC, institute in May are due before March 8, 2024.