Citizen Science Awareness Among University Librarians in Sri Lanka: A Pilot Study

Abstract

Citizen Science (CS) has emerged as a valuable strategy for involving the general public in scientific research, however, its awareness and adoption in academic library settings are still lacking. This study examined the present level of Citizen Science awareness among Sri Lankan university librarians to identify the knowledge gaps and potential avenues for future involvement. Knowledge of information literacy, community outreach, and research support services have placed academic librarians in a unique position to support Citizen Science initiatives. For this reason, this study is crucial to comprehend the potential for library engagement in Citizen Science initiatives. Using a structured questionnaire, 45 librarians from state universities in Sri Lanka participated in a cross-sectional survey. In addition to demographic details, the survey looked at familiarity with Citizen Science terminology, sources of knowledge acquisition, conceptual understanding, current institutional practices, perceived barriers and facilitators. The study involved librarians of all levels, where 96% are holding postgraduate qualifications and 60% having more than 15 years of experience. A notable 60% have partial familiarity with "Citizen Science" terminology and 15.6% reported full familiarity, whereas 24.4% were unfamiliar. Nonetheless, 66.7% correctly identified the definition of CS, showing stronger conceptual understanding than familiarity with terminology. Academic literature was the main source of awareness. Librarians recognized a higher future value of CS (44.4% "very important," 35.6% "important") but current institutional engagement is still low. The most acknowledged role of librarians in CS was information provision. Meanwhile, other aspects such as collaboration, data management, hosting events and promoting CS were also considered significant. The most interest was shown in environmental monitoring (26.8%) and public health related (25.3%) projects. The main obstacles were lack of resources (22.6%), lack of experience (21.9%), and lack of funds (21.2%). To address these issues, 91% of the respondents suggested training programs, while others stated partnership opportunities (71%) and funding support (64%). Prioritized training areas include project planning (82.2%), knowledge on types of projects (80%), and citizen science fundamentals (62%). University librarians in Sri Lanka demonstrate moderate awareness but strong conceptual understanding of citizen science, with low current engagement yet high future expectations. The discrepancy between conceptual understanding and familiarity of terminology suggests a need for targeted trainings. Given their strategic institutional position, libraries could serve as significant citizen science hubs. Other recommendations include formal training, sustainable funding, creating educational material, and implementing institutional support framework to bridge knowledge gaps and support the implementation of citizen science initiatives.