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Create A New Collection

Collections are versatile, powerful and simple to create. From a customized course reader to an action-guide for an upcoming service-learning trip, collections illuminate themes, guide inquiry, and provide context for how people around the worls are responding to social challenges.

  • Name and describe your collection

  • Add Stories

  • Add external links at any time

  • Add to your collection over time and share!

1. Name your collection

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2. Add Stories

Add stories to your collection from your list of Favorites below, or add stories directly to a collection from Search or Discovery. Anytime you see the collection icon you can add a story. Just click the icon and follow the instructions on your screen.

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Solutions Story Tracker®

Welcome to a curated database of rigorous reporting on responses to social problems.

15,700 stories produced by 8,900 journalists and 2,000 news outlets from 89 countries. The stories cover responses in 192 countries, in 17 languages. This resource is made possible because of a growing movement of journalists who use solutions journalism to illuminate both problems and evidence-based responses to them.

Learn more about the Solutions Story Tracker.


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There are 106 results  for your search.  View and Refine Your Search Terms

  • In Baltimore, the future of film culture is an old-school video store

    Brandon Soderberg
    2019-02-14 00:39:47 UTC
    0

    January 30, 2019 |

    The Outline |

    Text |

    Over 3000 Words

    Response Location: United States, Baltimore, Maryland

    Where rental stores couldn’t compete, non-profits step in to preserve physical media in the digital age. Despite promises of unlimited access to media, online streaming services have actually reduced the variety of films available to their subscribers. In contrast to the vagaries of digital streaming business models, Beyond Video in Baltimore looks to members, donors, and volunteers to grow and maintain a lending library—already larger than the Netflix catalog—invested in promoting film culture and history.

    Read More

    • 6199

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  • Library Systems Embracing Their New Roles As Social Service Hubs

    Emily Nonko
    2019-02-03 22:29:48 UTC
    1

    January 22, 2019 |

    Next City |

    Text |

    800-1500 Words

    Response Location: United States, San Francisco, California

    Public libraries are increasingly using their positions as accessible centers for information to address homelessness and mental health issues - in San Francisco, a team of Health and Safety Associates have helped place at least 130 patrons in stable housing. While adding social workers to their staff has helped libraries provide social services, the libraries have also focused on hiring people who have experiences homelessness or financial instability to fill those roles and act as peer mentors as well.

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    • 6141

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  • How community library is serving an under-served Lagos community

    Abdussalam Amoo
    2019-09-10 20:10:41 UTC
    0

    January 17, 2019 |

    EduCeleb |

    Text |

    800-1500 Words

    Response Location: Nigeria, Ojokoro, Lagos

    A community library built in Lagos, Nigeria by a nonprofit called Pyramid Educational Advancement (PEA) is filling a literacy gap in the area due to the low number of government-owned public libraries. Aside from simply providing a space to read and the books to learn from, PEA offers services like reading clubs for all ages, career counseling, and friendly competitions. Since it opened in 2014 the library has been such a success that PEA is now opening three other local and the Nigerian government is replicating some of their services in their own libraries.

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    • 7952

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  • Calgary's New Public Library Opens with Ambition and Style

    Tim Querengesser
    2018-11-23 15:18:01 UTC
    0

    November 07, 2018 |

    Bloomberg CityLab |

    Text |

    800-1500 Words

    Response Location: Canada, Calgary

    In Calgary, the new Central Library does more than just provide a beautiful space in which to read books. It also provides a place to access technology and acts as a connection space between the more and less affluent areas surrounding it. Though the architecture and design are impressive, some might say the most lasting impact is that “ this space unambiguously welcomes anyone from either side of the tracks.”

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    • 5779

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  • Libraries hire social workers to help homeless patrons

    Lisa Schencker
    2018-10-30 12:41:28 UTC
    0

    October 27, 2018 |

    Chicago Tribune |

    Text |

    800-1500 Words

    Response Location: United States, Chicago, Illinois

    Public libraries once turned a blind eye to the homeless people using their spaces, but many libraries have now shifted into action mode by hiring social workers to help with behavioral health challenges of patrons. In Chicago, the library social workers are funded by Amita Health, a local hospital system. In San Francisco, site of the first library social worker in 2009, there have been 7000 connections made through this investment in the well-being of library patrons.

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    • 5607

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  • Community building: Chicago experiment links libraries and apartments

    Eva Fedderly
    2018-11-05 01:52:08 UTC
    1

    October 24, 2018 |

    The Christian Science Monitor |

    Text |

    800-1500 Words

    Response Location: United States, Chicago, Illinois

    When a need for more libraries and more affordable housing arose in Chicago, Mayor Rahm Emanuel pursued a plan to combine the two. The result is a partnership between the Chicago Housing Authority and the Chicago Public Library system. Despite some concern among neighborhood residents, the solution is largely seen as a creative approach as well as a creative use of funding and land space. Mixed-use developments are becoming more popular around the world, and this next iteration will benefit many types of Chicago residents.

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    • 5634

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  • Need a Handbag or a Tie to Land Your First Job? Borrow One With a Library Card

    Melissa Gomez
    2018-10-10 13:55:29 UTC
    1

    October 09, 2018 |

    The New York Times |

    Text |

    800-1500 Words

    Response Location: United States, New York, New York

    As the New York Public Library's career counseling offerings have grown, one of the most popular features has been an interview clothing rental service. Just as they might check out a book for a set period, patrons can now check out a piece of clothing or accessory for up to three weeks.

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    • 5417

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  • American democracy is fracturing. Libraries say they know how to help

    Jenny Anderson
    2019-08-18 02:12:16 UTC
    0

    October 05, 2018 |

    Quartz |

    Text |

    1500-3000 Words

    Response Location: United States, New York, New York

    Public libraries have remained one of the last public non-commercial spaces where people from all walks of life can coexist and learn. New York Public Library in particular is working to improve and expand their services to match the recent dramatic rise in engagement in things like ESL classes. The library is spending $700 million to, among other things, open 2 new branches in prison to reach more than 20,000 prisoners, offer 10,000 free WIFI devices, and to refurbish the physical space to add a floor dedicated to workforce development and skills training.

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    • 7715

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  • You Can Now Read Literary Classics on New York Public LIbrary's Instagram

    Linda Poon
    2018-08-24 03:30:04 UTC
    0

    August 23, 2018 |

    Bloomberg CityLab |

    Text |

    Under 800 Words

    Response Location: United States, New York, New York

    The New York Public Library Insta Novels program makes public domain works available to be read on Instagram. Featuring engaging artwork and a user friendly format, Insta Novels make literature available to users with a smartphone and provide a path to digital engagement for the library.

    Read More

    • 4883

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  • You can now borrow ties, briefcases and handbags from the New York Public Library

    Kristin Toussaint
    2018-10-08 17:50:00 UTC
    0

    August 15, 2018 |

    Metro |

    Text |

    Under 800 Words

    Response Location: United States, New York, New York

    The New York Public Library Riverside lends out ties, briefcases, and handbags. The program helps those attending graduations, job interviews, and other events who may not be able to afford such items. It’s part of a larger initiative geared towards supporting teens as they take on adult responsibilities.

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    • 5394

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Please sign in via My Profile before submitting a story. This will allow you to view the status of your submission and get notified if the story is added to the Solutions Story Tracker®.
Filter your search by the language of the story. As the Solutions Story Tracker grows, we are working to include more stories in more languages. Your story submissions can help! Submit stories here.
These factors identify the ways communities overcome the big challenges and help you see the insights. Learn more about the Success Factors here.

Solutions Journalism Around the World

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Solutions In Focus

Discover curated content about themes that matter to you, exclusively from the Solutions Story Tracker. Explore collections, resources and more.

  • Climate Solutions

  • Advancing Democracy

  • Youth Mental Health


Go to All Solutions in Focus

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    Video Tutorials

    Learn how to find what you need in the Solutions Story Tracker in español and in français.

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    Submission Guidelines

    This database is powered by user submissions. Submit a story.

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    Custom Story Alerts

    Get notified when new stories match your interests by setting up custom story alerts in My Profile.

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Solutions Story Tracker® FAQ

  • Solutions journalism…
    • Describes a response to a problem and how it works.
    • Seeks to draw out insights that explain success or failure.
    • Presents the available evidence about the effectiveness of a response.
    • Explains the shortcomings or limitations of the response.
    Learn more.
  • The Solutions Story Tracker® is a curated, searchable database of solutions journalism stories — rigorous reporting about responses to social problems. We vet and tag every story in the Story Tracker, which offers an inspiring and useful collection of the thousands of ways people are working to solve problems around the world.

  • You can learn more about how we source, vet, and tag stories here, as well as how we share them. We also have video tutorials in Spanish and French that show how to use the Solutions Story Tracker to find what you need.

  • Story collections are curated by our staff or other partners to explore a theme, pattern, or trend via selected solutions stories and external resources. Some story collections focus on an in-depth exploration of a topic with solutions journalism; others highlight journalists and how they report on topics. Certain story collections include discussion questions and notes, so that educators and community discussion leaders can lead learners to fully engage with the stories.

  • The Solutions Story Tracker® is powered by user submissions. We encourage submissions from journalists, as well as from anyone who has an eye for solutions journalism. Click here to submit. (Why submit? So many reasons!)

  • You can submit a story directly on the Solutions Story Tracker®. You will be prompted to register or log into the Solutions Journalism Network website, if you are already logged in. (It is free to register!) Logging in allows you to track the status of your submissions under My Profile, as well as save your favorite stories, create story collections and story alerts, and access other helpful features of our website.

  • After you submit a story to us and assign it a topic, it is sent to one of our Solutions Story Tracker team members. Our team member evaluates the story for the four qualities of solutions journalism, and on the basics: The story must come from a news outlet and have a date and a byline. If the story meets our criteria, our team tags it accordingly and adds it to the database. If the story falls short of the mark, our team will include the reason why. We include stories in the Story Tracker that meet our standards of solutions journalism. Inclusion does not mean we support the initiatives, policies, organizations or approaches featured in those stories.

    Discover common reasons why a story may miss the mark for inclusion in the Solutions Story Tracker®.

    Learn more about the history of the database.

  • Solutions Journalism Network features these stories in the searchable database making them publicly accessible to anyone who wants to search for rigorous reporting on solutions to social problems. Any story that is added has the potential to make more impact than its original purpose. Added stories are used in journalism trainings, school curricula, research projects, and independent analysis on issue area trends. This now includes artificial intelligence tools, which are applied for educational value to find stories and support story vetting, as well as to extract insights from the stories. SJN has digital products and newsletters that give new life and exposure to the stories meeting people where they are at. Story data also is used to develop innovative tools to reach the general public with solutions journalism as well as some specific research projects requested by researchers. If you have any questions or concerns about our use of story data or added stories, please contact Lita Tirak.

  • News outlets determine whether all users can access their stories — and some limit the number of stories that anyone can view, or require a subscription. The majority of stories in the database can be accessed for free.

  • We work with journalists, academic researchers and others who feel that our database will support their research. We are especially interested in research that seeks to develop new insights about solutions journalism and its spread and its impact on social problems. Please complete all sections of the Data Request Form, and we will contact you to discuss your request in greater detail.

  • We do not fact-check the stories in the Solutions Story Tracker®. We do ensure that each story comes from a credible news source that has its own editorial infrastructure.

  • We worked with Tara Pixley and Jovelle Tamayo of the Authority Collective, who developed a guide for using equitable visuals. We follow this guide when choosing images for our website.

  • We welcome your feedback and additional questions. Please use this form to get in touch.

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