> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://civic-switchboard.gitbook.io/guide/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://civic-switchboard.gitbook.io/guide/library-roles/connecting-data-users.md).

# Connecting data users

**What's the need?**

* Data users, even when living in the same region, are often separated. Users may be facing similar problems and may have solutions or complementary expertise to share.
* Together, data users can be stronger advocates for social change, for improving civic data, for making additional data available, and for the creation of tools to make data more useful.
* In-person connections can be fun and help strengthen local networks.

**Why the library?**  

* Your library is already a space for convening and connecting individuals to information.  
* Your library has the infrastructure and skills to build community around civic data. 

**What you can do:**

* Attend or host a civic data community event like a Data Day or a coding challenge 
* Promote civic data initiatives through the library's social media, events, and calendars
* Facilitate a local data user group around a specific dataset or topic (ex. housing data, environmental data)
* Host recurring data literacy trainings and workshops

**Inspiration:**

* Pittsburgh, PA: [Pittsburgh's Data Day: Using Civic Data to Spark Hands-on Community Engagement](https://www.livingcities.org/blog/1226-pittsburgh-s-data-day-using-civic-data-to-spark-hands-on-community-engagement)
* New York, NY: [NYC Open Data Event Calendar](https://www.open-data.nyc)
* Chapel Hill, NC: Chapel Hill Public Library's [ Open Data Hackathon](https://chapelhillpubliclibrary.org/eventscalendar/open-data-hackathon/)
* Ottawa, ON: Open Data Ottawa's [Open Data Book Club](https://opendataottawa.tumblr.com/post/97848763391/open-data-book-club)
* Cleveland, OH: [Data Days Cleveland](https://www.datadayscle.org/)
* Baltimore, MD: [Baltimore Data Day](https://bniajfi.org/data_day/)

**Resources you can use:**

* Detroit Digital Justice Coalition: [Discovering Technology](https://alliedmedia.org/ddjc/discotech) ("DiscoTech"): From that page, see the "How to DiscoTech" zine for detailed principles and specific guidance!
* Roadmap to Informed Communities / Sunlight Foundation. “[Community Data Dialogues: Learn how to host events to engage non-technical audiences on open data](https://communities.sunlightfoundation.com/action/data-dialogues/)” 
* Murray, Brittany, Elsa Falkenburger, and Priya Saxena. “[Data Walks: An Innovative Way to Share Data with Communities.](https://www.urban.org/research/publication/data-walks-innovative-way-share-data-communities)” Urban Institute, June 4, 2016. 
* Schlosser, Dan. “[When ‘Awesome’ Is Isolating: Making Hackathons Accessible.](http://static.schlosser.io/hackcon.pdf)”


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