Press Release — LIBER Signs MoU with the European Citizen Science Association (ECSA)
THE HAGUE, 24 February 2022 — LIBER, the Association of European Research Libraries, and the European Citizen Science Association (ECSA), have, as per the 20th of January 2022, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to develop, promote and facilitate citizen science-related support services at research libraries within Europe.
The agreement formalises the collaboration of both parties on an EU-centred guide for librarians based on the US version titled, ‘The Library and Community Guide to Citizen Science,’ which is aimed at public libraries.
As per the MoU, both LIBER and ECSA additionally set out to cohost a series of public and professional online events and professional development webinars with the aim of connecting citizen science communities. In fact, the first concrete effect of the collaboration is the public webinar — ‘We all do better when we work together: LIBER and ECSA working together for stronger citizen science communities’ — to be held on the 16th of March, in participation with representatives of the two parties.
Moreover, the MoU will be jointly implemented by the LIBER Citizen Science Working Group as well as the ECSA Citizen Science and Universities Working Group.
“ECSA has the great opportunity to expand the community and to engage in a new setting thanks to the initiative of LIBER. We look forward to working together and are happy to support the two working groups and their joint work. We see the connection between libraries and citizen science as an important and fruitful source for both sides. I am confident that this cooperation will increase the impact on both communities – citizen science and libraries – and that it will help to raise awareness in terms of their public role,” says Dorte Riemenschneider, Managing Director of ECSA.
Tiberius Ignat, member of the LIBER Citizen Science Working Group and Manager at Scientific Knowledge Services had the following to say about the agreement: “The collaboration between ECSA and LIBER is a promising step for citizen science in Europe. Together we endeavour to practically tackle the professional development of research librarians on the topic, bringing them up to speed with current citizen science best practices. At the same time, we would like to share with the citizen science community the great experience, networks, and facilities that have been developed for years in the libraries. We look forward to working closely with ECSA on a range of professional development events and on a citizen science publication targeting research librarians.”
Read the MoU here.
[Photo by Stanislav Rozhkov on Unsplash]