# Showing the importance of civic data **What's the need?** * Many people aren't aware of what civic data is, how it can be used, and how it is relevant to them. **Why the library?** * The library supports broad and diverse audiences, many of whom may not be included in conventional discussions around data. * Libraries are physical spaces for sharing activities, projects, and stories from the broader community **What you can do:** * Promote, through storytelling and case studies, projects that use civic data * Host data art installations, speaker series, data book clubs **Inspiration:** * Pittsburgh, PA: Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh [Civic Data Zine Camp](http://yalsa.ala.org/blog/2017/09/28/civic-data-zine-camp/) * St. Paul, MN: [Data Party](https://sppl.org/data-party/) * Ottawa, ON: [Open Data Ottawa Book Club](https://opendataottawa.tumblr.com/post/97848763391/open-data-book-club) * Charlotte, SC: [Charlotte Mecklenburg Public Library Book Club](https://plancharlotte.org/story/matthew-desmond-evicted-charlotte-nc-book-club) **Resources you can use:** * Tess Wilson, Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh: [Civic Data Field Guide](https://github.com/civic-switchboard/guide/raw/master/toolkit/Civic%20Data%20Field%20Guide.png) flyer from Civic Data Zine Camp * St. Paul Public Library, [Open Data Guide](https://d4804za1f1gw.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/sites/40/2019/07/08111351/open_saint_paul_guide.pdf) --- # Agent Instructions: Querying This Documentation If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question. Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter: ``` GET https://civic-switchboard.gitbook.io/guide/library-roles/showing-importance-civic-data.md?ask= ``` The question should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language. The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation. Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.