Since 2016, the Open Data Literacy (ODL) Project has aimed to prepare future and current public librarians and information professionals to curate collections of open data of value to local communities and build the necessary infrastructure and preservation environments to sustain open data collections for the long-term. As the open data movement grows, the ODL project seeks to better understand and support public libraries in helping the public access and use open data.
Open data connects to many core library values, such as open access, information literacy, and civic engagement. Public libraries have a long history of helping their communities find, use, and learn about new information resources and technologies, and they are beginning to step into new roles that support the open data movement. In collaboration with the Washington State Library, the ODL Project conducted a survey about Washington public library interests and activities with open data. In response to interest from other state libraries, ODL has partnered with TASCHA to expand the survey to better understand the open data ambitions of public libraries in the U.S.
