Journalism

Make the most of your submission for Knight News Challenge: Libraries

There’s one week left to submit an idea to Knight News Challenge: Libraries, which offers applicants a chance to share in $2.5 million by focusing on the question, “How might we leverage libraries as a platform to build more knowledgeable communities?” Here are some thoughts and tips as you prepare your entry:

Related LinkS

Meeting the information needs of communities at the public library by Amy Garmer on Knight Blog (09/22/14)

“Knight News Challenge: Libraries opens for entries” by John Bracken (9/10/14)

“Lesa Mitchell, Network for Scale: A new opportunity for libraries” on Knight blog (9/19/14)

“Lessons in sharing, from the public library” by Nate Hill on Knight blog (9/18/14)

“Bianca St. Louis, CODE2040: ‘I envision libraries as a creative space and entrepreneurial hub’” on Knight blog (9/18/14)

“Why Libraries?” by Sheila Murphy on Knight blog (9/17/14)

“Libraries cultivate connections, community and more in the digital age” by Anthony Marx on Knight blog (9/15/14)

“Can research libraries adapt to live up to their potential?” by Bernard Reilly on Knight blog (9/12/14) “Finding the sweet spot for libraries in the digital age” by Jill Bourne on Knight Blog (9/11/14) 

“Knight News Challenge: Libraries opens for entries” by John Bracken on Knight Blog (9/10/14)

“Why Libraries [Still] Matter” by Jonathan Zittrain on Medium (9/10/14)

“News Challenge to explore role of libraries in the digital age” by John Bracken on Knight Blog (8/25/14)

“Knight News Challenge on Libraries offers $2.5 million for innovative ideas ” – Press Release (8/10/14)

  1. You can submit more than one idea. If you have multiple ideas on how to leverage libraries, feel free to submit them to the challenge.
  2. This is not a normal grant application. Knight staff and reviewers will be looking at a large quantity of ideas in a short period of time. We don’t need a comprehensive view of the project at this point, just a snapshot. Write clearly, with as much specificity as you can muster.
  3. Partnerships are not required. However, if your project hinges on specific partnerships, you should at least include a “statement of intent to partner” from the appropriate person. If your proposal becomes a finalist, we’ll determine whether the partnership is authentic.
  4. Make it visual. Add images or video to your submission to help the visual thinkers understand your project.
  5. Show an understanding of the user/audience of the project. Be specific about who will benefit from your project and how you understand their needs.
  6. Think of your entry as a landing page. Because this is an open challenge, others are likely to find your idea through Web searches and browsing the challenge site; think about what you would like people to know if they find your page.
  7. You can edit after you submit. One of the things that makes the News Challenge different is that we encourage you to consider the feedback and questions from reviewers–and the public–and give you the opportunity to make changes. You can change your entry during the feedback phase, but the initial entry needs to be submitted before Sept. 30 at 5 p.m. ET.

If you have specific questions, we will be holding office hours Sept. 29, at 2:30 – 3:30 p.m. ET. You can join online or by telephone:

Also if you are in San Jose, Calif., or New York we will be hosting community events to discuss the challenge. The San Jose event will be held on Wednesday, Sept. 24 ,at Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Library from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m.; register here to attend. The New York event will be held on Friday, Sept. 26, at the New York Public Library from 1 to 2 p.m.; register here to attend.

To submit an entry for the Knight News Challenge or provide feedback on other submissions, visit newschallenge.org. Knight News Challenge: Libraries closes at 5 p.m. ET on Sept. 30. Winners will be announced in January.

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