A guest post by Linda Hofschire, Community-Centered Libraries and Meg DePriest, California State Library
Do you work with quantitative data such as demographics, outputs (circulation, program attendance, etc.), or survey responses? This fall and winter, the California State Library and Pacific Library Partnership are providing training on equitable data practices as part of the Community-Centered Libraries: Harnessing the Power of Data to Equitably Serve Your Community project. This training will enable you to:
- Gain a greater awareness of how the subjective choices you make when working with quantitative data have statistical and human consequences
- Become conscious of whose lived experience you are prioritizing in your data projects
- Acquire tools and skills for working with quantitative data so that it aligns with the intended experiences of the people you care about
- Develop connections with peers around California who are engaged in similar work
We’re offering this training in a variety of formats so that there is something for everyone! You can participate in:
- Webinars: Are you curious about this topic but don’t have a lot of time to dive deep? Join us for our four-webinar series. We encourage you to attend all of the webinars, but you’re also welcome to sample sessions that look interesting.
- Cohort: This is for people who want to dive deep into a data project and connect with peers around California who are doing similar work. Cohort members will participate in eight sessions online between October and February, work on a project, and meet in person in May (travel stipends will be provided). The deadline to apply for the Equitable Data Practices cohort is October 5th.
- In-Person Workshops: Do you learn better in-person rather than online, and want to meet with other data people to socialize and learn together? We are offering one-day workshops in Sacramento and Ontario in May 2024.
Heather Krause, data scientist and founder of We All Count, will be leading all of the Equitable Data Practices trainings – webinars, cohort, and in-person workshops. The first webinar has already occurred and you can check it out in the Community-Centered Libraries online community space (all California library workers are welcome to join this space!). After attending this webinar, one participant commented, “the presentation was so impactful and the information provided feels really actionable.”
During the winter and spring of 2024, we will offer a webinar series, in-person workshops, and cohort learning opportunities on the topic of Culturally Responsive Evaluation. You can learn more about these opportunities on the Community-Centered Libraries website.
Questions? Please contact Linda Hofschire, Community-Centered Libraries Project Manager.