Photo by New Calgary Central Library on Flickr. 

“How might we leverage libraries as a platform to build more knowledgeable communities?” That’s the question we’ll be asking you to help answer in the next Knight News Challenge.

As we mentioned last week, we’ll open the challenge Wednesday, Sept. 10. As part of the buildup, we’re asking you to talk to us about what inspires you about libraries, about what problems and opportunities you would like to see addressed through the News Challenge.

For our part, we see three key assets of libraries that we hope to build upon: librarians, the highly trained human capital that specializes in finding and sharing information; the public trust and goodwill that libraries have built as trusted institutions; and libraries themselves, the physical assets where people can safely gather with their neighbors.

The challenge will be open to anyone from anywhere, but our primary focus is on U.S.-based library projects.

So here’s what happens next:

• For the next week we ask to you to think about what captures your imagination for the future of libraries. Stay tuned for a schedule of road shows over the next month where we’ll meet with you to talk about the challenge and answer your questions.  
• From 9 a.m. on Sept. 10 until 5:00 p.m. U.S. Eastern Time on Sept. 30, the News Challenge will be open for your submissions at newschallenge.org.
• From Oct. 1 until Oct. 20, we, with the help of outside advisers, will review the entries on newschallenge.org and invite feedback from members of the public.
• On Oct. 21, we’ll announce the semifinalists in the challenge. At that point we’ll give each project one week to refine their original proposal.
• In the following weeks, we'll review the semifinalists with our advisers, select the finalists and submit a list of proposed winners to the Knight trustees.
• In January we’ll announce the winners.

So, visit newschallenge.org now to share an inspiration, and check back beginning on Sept. 10 to submit entries and to give feedback. You can also follow along on Twitter @knightfdn and #newschallenge.

John Bracken is director of journalism and media innovation at Knight Foundation.

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