Enhancing the Capacity for Rural Libraries to Engage the Public in Drought Science, Monitoring, and Adaptation

作为加强非正式环境中学习的整体战略的一部分，推进非正式STEM学习（AISL）计划资助创新研究，方法和资源，用于各种环境。这一具体项目将推进关于农村图书馆作为非正式STEM学习环境的性质和功能的新知识。研究将确定图书馆的社会背景和相关能力，以获取外部存在的新科学知识，并将其纳入社区知识建设和论坛。研究成果应导致图书馆和科学传播从业人员关于谁和如何影响公众参与公民科学干旱监测的可操作战略。此外，与这些农村图书馆的合作将为农村社区和非正式STEM教育带来新的资源。该项目将侧重于设计，开发和评估非正式的科学教育计划和教育媒体，用于大平原干旱易发地区的农村图书馆。目标受众包括俄克拉荷马州、内布拉斯加州和科罗拉多农村社区的公共图书馆员，以及他们所服务的普通公众（成人和儿童）。该项目的目标是利用农村图书管理员的专业技能和社区知识，支持当地干旱监测网络。该模式使图书馆员能够在社区对话和讨论干旱问题的背景下介绍公民科学进程和做法。 该项目与雨、雹、雪社区合作组织（CoCoRaHS）和国家抗旱中心（NDMC）的合作伙伴合作，将增加公众对公民科学的参与，并改善有关干旱的科学知识的传播。项目交付成果包括：（1）为农村图书馆员举办的专业发展研讨会系列，（2）干旱信息图表小册子和海报系列，（3）为农村公众共同设计的图书馆项目。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

As part of its overall strategy to enhance learning in informal environments, the Advancing Informal STEM Learning (AISL) program funds innovative research, approaches and resources for use in a variety of settings. This specific project will advance new knowledge about the nature of and functions for rural libraries as informal STEM learning environments. Research will identify the social contexts and relational capabilities of libraries to acquire new scientific knowledge that exists externally and to integrate it into community knowledge-building and forums. The research outcomes should lead to actionable strategies for library and science communication practitioners about who and how to influence public engagement in citizen science drought monitoring. Furthermore, collaborations with these rural libraries will lead to new resources for rural communities and informal STEM education. This project will focus on the design, development, and evaluation of informal science education programs and educational media for use in rural libraries in drought prone areas of the Great Plains. The target audiences include public librarians in rural communities of Oklahoma, Nebraska, and Colorado, as well as the general public (adults and children) they serve. The project goals are to leverage the professional skills and community knowledge of rural librarians to support local drought monitoring networks. The model prepares librarians to introduce citizen science processes and practices within the context of community dialogue and deliberation about drought. In collaboration with partners at the Community Collaborative for Rain, Hail, and Snow (CoCoRaHS), and the National Drought Mitigation Center (NDMC), the project will increase public participation in citizen science and improve the communication of science-based knowledge about drought. The project deliverables include: (1) a professional development workshop series for rural librarians, (2) a drought infographic booklet and poster series, and (3) co-designed library programs for rural public audiences.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.