Community-Centered Libraries: Cohort Learning Opportunities
The Community-Centered Libraries cohort learning experiences, which occurred between October 2023 and May 2024, provided opportunities for California public library workers to take their knowledge and skills to the next level and connect with peers around California who were engaged in data and evaluation work.
Participants met online with their fellow cohort members and an instructor twice a month for four months, identified a project in their library to practice applying what they learned, and met in person for a half-day culminating event in May 2024. They will continue to connect, share ideas, and support each other in an online community forum.
Equitable Data Practices
The Equitable Data Practices cohort was led by Heather Krause, the founder of We All Count, a project for equity in data science. Cohort members learned how to apply an equity framework to their work with data. By applying this framework, they were able to recognize and minimize bias, identify gaps and inequities within datasets, and ensure that the diverse voices in their communities were represented.
Culturally Relevant Evaluation
The Culturally Relevant Evaluation cohort was led by Dr. Andrea Girón Mathern, the founder of Centrality Research. Cohort members, you will learned culturally relevant and community–centered approaches to conducting evaluations of their public programs and services. Participants included library workers whose job responsibilities include outreach, community engagement, public programs, and/or evaluating public-facing programs and services.