Press Release – LIBER and SciStarter Sign Memorandum of Understanding (MoU)

THE HAGUE, January 2022 — LIBER, the Association of European Research Libraries, and SciStarter, an online citizen science hub, have recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the development, promotion, and facilitation of citizen science-related support services at research libraries in Europe and North America.

The agreement formalises the collaboration of both parties working towards an EU-centered guide for librarians (based on a US-version titled ‘The Library and Community Guide to Citizen Science’). As per the MoU, both LIBER and SciStarter additionally set out to cohost a series of public and professional online events and professional development webinars to connect citizen science communities on both continents.

Dr Paul Ayris, Chair of the Citizen Science Working Group and former LIBER President had the following to say about the agreement: ”The collaboration between SciStarter and LIBER is an important step for Citizen Science. It ensures an important dialogue, the dissemination of results, and could enable a stronger platform for research libraries becoming hubs for Citizen Science and Open Science.”

Darlene Cavalier, Founder of SciStarter and Professor of Practice at Arizona State University, said the following about the MoU: “SciStarter is excited to build on what we have learned with our colleagues at Arizona State University and a national network of libraries to develop, promote, and facilitate citizen science-related support services at research libraries in Europe and North America in collaboration with LIBER. We look forward to this bi-continental initiative which will mutually increase our learning and broaden our collective impact.”

Read the MoU here. 

[Photo by Aleksandar Langer on Unsplash]