From Data to Creation of Meaning Part II: Data Librarian as Translator

While institutions, methodology and geography all present barriers for communication and development of infrastructure, sometimes the greatest barriers may be in reaching not across the world but across the hallway. Engaging in the work of unified infrastructure requires finding language that bridges modes of inquiry and meaning, so that all participants see their place in the whole. This work of finding shared language involves translation at many levels. Data librarians know that not everyone means the same thing by ‘data’ and increasingly they seek language that spans the practices of social science, sciences, humanities, and performing arts. This paper aims to highlight some of the ways in which data professionals are already adept at translation. Drawing on examples from work as a subject librarian and data professional at an undergraduate institution, I will elaborate on ways in which translation permeates the daily work of data librarians, from helping new researchers learn the language and methods of a field, to supporting faculty as they expand their teaching and research across disciplines. Additionally, librarians’ role as semi-outsiders within the institution situates them well to help drive conversations spanning disciplinary modes of thinking, in which faculty may also find themselves as semi-outsiders

Revolutionary or evolutionary? Making research data management manageable

This chapter investigates the role of academic librarians, particularly those at small liberal arts institutions, in providing research data management services. Research data management may not seem like an obvious fit for curricular libraries whose primary mission is supporting teaching rather than faculty research, nor is data curation an obvious need for schools without a data repository or staff who specialize in the preservation and dissemination of data. Yet numerous reports cite data management and data services as critical services for the future of academic libraries (ACRL Planning and Review Committee, 2013; Johnson, 2014; Cox, 2013; Tenopir, 2012). The question raised, then, is how and why are data management services important in the liberal arts context? What can librarians at these institutions do to develop expertise in this growing area of the profession? What services are college and university libraries beginning to provide, and how successfully can existing models be adapted to other institutions? Does the addition of data services transform the mission of liberal arts libraries, and if so, is that transition revolutionary or evolutionary? Liberal arts librarians, as they have with numerous other shifts and trends in librarianship, can turn to models in the literature from research universities, develop communities of practice amongst themselves, and also innovate from within their own unique contexts. The authors argue that such collaboration and innovation reflect an evolutionary process as librarians build on existing skills, strategies, workflows, and knowledge. The following pages of this chapter survey the current environment, offer case studies from two small liberal arts institutions, the College of Saint Benedict/Saint John’s University and Carleton College, and provide readers with recommended action steps to develop a path of gradual, manageable, shared, and sustainable work in research data management

Learning from Success: Approaching Data Management in the Humanities with Optimism and Good Cheer

Scientists and Social Scientists are well supported and accustomed to thinking about the life-cycles of their data and writing data management plans. The variety of humanities data and the novelty of managing it over its life-cycle often leads to confusion at best and chaos at worst during humanities research projects. In this discussion session we looked at a template for a humanities data management plan, successful data management plans for grants from the National Endowment for the Humanities, and discussed what humanities faculty at our institutions need to know about data management and what support structures they need in order to manage their data well

Revolutionary or Evolutionary? Adapting Best Practices for Data Management

Looking for ways to talk to researchers about data management? Wondering whether text, video, and image collections “count” as data? Daunted by the idea of helping someone write a data management plan? Never fear! In this workshop-style session, you will learn how you can support researchers and students with their data projects by building on existing librarian knowledge, skills, and practices. Through discussion and interactive exercises, this session will familiarize you with key concepts and tools you’ll need to start assisting with and planning services for data management, curation, and data literacy

The Pedagogical Data Reference Interview

This essay reflects on the reference interview on several levels. If we accept that academic reference in general has a pedagogical role, then it is necessary to adjust the standard model of the reference interview to reflect that value. Within the specific context of academic data reference, undergraduates as a group require more instruction during the reference interview because they are less prepared than graduate students and faculty to ask for what they need. A strict service model does not meet their needs. A successful model appropriately balances the tension between instruction and service. This balance will vary from one institution to another based on different user groups and institutional goals, with implications for resource allocation. Data librarians on the one hand and general and subject reference librarians on the other bring distinct sets of knowledge and experience to bear on the challenge of assessing the user\u27s need, which can be a rich point of collaboration and referral between them

Fast & Fun: Tech Topics for Libraries

This popular Lightning presentation format of 20 slides/15 seconds a slide allows a lot of information to be packed into a little amount of time. Our panel of presenters will give an overview on Web 2.0 tools and tech topics such as Yahoo Pipes, Google Wave, Screencast-o-matic, MindMeister, Jing, and more. This session will have seven panelists with seven different topics and time for audience sharing and discussion of the tools and topics. This is not a how-to or hands-on session; participants will get enough information to know whether or not they want to go deeper on their own. Fast-paced, information-packed, this session is not for the faint of heart or Web 2.0 novice! Presenters: Ann Walker Smalley, Metronet LeAnn Suchy, Metronet Matt Lee, Minitex Patricia Post, CMLE Rita Baladad, Minitex Karen Bauer, Bloomington Public Schools Danya Leebaw, Carleton College Kristin Partlo, Carleton Colleg

Technique [Volume 89, Issue 29]

Beyond the White and GoldBreaking the Bubbleby the numbersCheerleaders, dance team skip Final Four trip for chance at NCA gloryCirque delivers awe-inspiring AlegriaCouncil Clippings Senate and HouseEntertainment BriefsHeaded to the Alamodome? Check out the Jackets' competitionHOPE fee, book funding safe from cuts, for nowHOT or NOTHousing sign-ups flawed, need online treatmentJackets knock off Jayhawks in regional finalMorgan, Stojanovska honored by NCAANCAA Tournament NotebookNews BriefsOn the road to San AntonioOUR VIEWS Consensus OpinionProsecution undue for medical refusalPunisher continues comic book movie string with little successRancorous debate dominates budget sessionRunoff election pits Phuong vs. CaseSport ShortsStudent appears on, but doesn't need Movie & MakeoverStudent orgs prepare for move into CommonsStudents return to roots, host high school math tournamentStudents showcase films at Ferst CenterThrough the looking glass...Two BitsYOUR VIEWS Letters to the Edito