The university of illinois urbana-champaign school of information sciences and the public library association will implement the data storytelling toolkit for libraries project to provide guidance and…

The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign School of Information Sciences, in partnership with the Public Library Association, was awarded a $892,669 Project Grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) under the Laura Bush 21st Century Librarian Program (CFDA 45.313) to implement the Data Storytelling Toolkit for Libraries project. The project aims to provide guidance and tools to help public libraries develop skills in translating data into evidence-based stories to better communicate their impact and value to their communities. The project will involve an iterative research and development process to create an online toolkit with interactive pathways and story templates. Additionally, the American Library Association (ALA) received a sub-award of an undisclosed amount to assist in implementing the Data Storytelling Toolkit. The project will run from Aug 1, 2024 to Jul 31, 2027.

The university of illinois urbana-champaign school of information sciences and the public library association will implement the data storytelling toolkit for libraries project to provide guidance and tools to help public libraries reach audiences with stories based on data. There is a GAP between available data and usable stories for public libraries; this project will address the GAP by guiding users to develop skills to translate data into evidence-based stories. Following a previously developed basic model, this project connects data storytelling training with public library data, tools, and infrastructure. Through an iterative research and development process, the project will lead to an online toolkit with two interactive pathways and built-in guidance and story templates. The toolkit will help library staff learn to better tell the story of their impact and value, positioning libraries for success into the future.