Libraries and the management of research data

A discussion of the role of university libraries in the management of digital research data outputs. Reviews some of the recent history of progress in this area from a UK perspective, with reference to international developments

Curriculum Data Deep Dive: Identifying Data Literacies in the Disciplines

Objective: Evaluate and examine Data Literacy (DL) in the supported disciplines of four liaison librarians at a large research university. Methods: Using a framework developed by Prado and Marzal (2013), the study analyzed 378 syllabi from a two-year period across six departments—Criminal Justice, Geography, Geology, Journalism, Political Science, and Sociology—to see which classes included DLs. Results: The study was able to determine which classes hit on specific DLs and where those classes might need more support in other DLs. The most common DLs being taught in courses are Reading, Interpreting, and Evaluating Data, and Using Data. The least commonly taught are Understanding Data and Managing Data skills. Conclusions: While all disciplines touched on data in some way, there is clear room for librarians to support DLs in the areas of Understanding Data and Managing Data

Building Blocks: Laying the Foundation for a Research Data Management Program

Establishing a research data management (RDM) program has become a pressing imperative for many research libraries, but relatively few have a program in place. The challenges are many; these include learning about RDM principles and issues, assessing the local institution's greatest needs, selecting and implementing a repository environment, working with researchers to convey the importance of this work, preparing training materials, building expertise among library staff, and establishing metadata guidelines.Building Blocks offers detailed guidance at two levels: Part 1, Laying the Foundation, is directed at institutions that have yet to begin implementation, with the objective of guiding them through the steps necessary to establish a firm, supportive foundation on which to build. Part 2, Building Up and Out, is for those who are somewhat further along and ready to create the structure of a full RDM program.In addition to guiding readers through the full array of stages in building a program, Building Blocks includes more than 100 citations to resources that implementers can learn from and leverage.This work is part of our research collections and support efforts to inform current thinking about research collections and the emerging services that libraries are offering to support contemporary modes of scholarship. We are encouraging the development of new ways for libraries to build and provide these types of collections and deliver distinctive services

Research Data Services in Academic Libraries: Data Intensive Roles for the Future?

Objectives: The primary objectives of this study are to gauge the various levels of Research Data Service academic libraries provide based on demographic factors, gauging RDS growth since 2011, and what obstacles may prevent expansion or growth of services. Methods: Survey of academic institutions through stratified random sample of ACRL library directors across the U.S. and Canada. Frequencies and chi-square analysis were applied, with some responses grouped into broader categories for analysis. Results: Minimal to no change for what services were offered between survey years, and interviews with library directors were conducted to help explain this lack of change. Conclusion: Further analysis is forthcoming for a librarians study to help explain possible discrepancies in organizational objectives and librarian sentiments of RDS

Joining Together to Build More: The New England Software Carpentry Library Consortium

In 2017 a group of academic library and information technology staff from institutions across New England piloted a process of joining The Carpentries, an organization developed to train researchers in essential computing skills and practices for automating and improving their handling of data, as a consortium. The New England Software Carpentry Library Consortium (NESCLiC) shared a gold-level tier membership to become a Carpentries member organization. NESCLiC members attended a Software Carpentry workshop together and then participated in instructor training as a cohort, collaborating on learning the material, practicing, and beginning to host and teach workshops as a group. This article describes both the successes and challenges of forming this new consortium, suggests good practices for those who might wish to form similar collaborations, and discusses the future of this program and other efforts to help researchers improve their computing and data handling skills