2017 Charleston Library Conference

Data and access to data are increasingly important for researchers and as a result, even non-data librarians are called upon to support data research and deliver solutions to issues that arise as researchers navigate through datasets. However, often when the data are purchased, services associated with them are considered only as an afterthought. What are the service aspects to consider when thinking about purchasing, providing access to or mining datasets? In this session, speakers will discuss data as a part of the collection-development process for librarians and share a planning process for offering services for dataset usage for research projects.
 
Meris Mandernach, Associate Professor and Head of Research Services, will highlight a process created at the Ohio State University Libraries, a large research institution that has implemented a service-focused assessment that can be used prior to data acquisition. She will detail key stakeholders to involve both within the libraries and around the university and share a working model of creating and planning for services around library-acquired data sources as well as a working checklist of steps involved when acquiring or providing data for research.  
 
Sayeed Choudhury, Associate Dean for Research Data Management at John Hopkins University, will then discuss how to curate the data produced by researchers in a way that integrates with library infrastructure. He will also present “principles of navigation” for how libraries can evolve data management services to support the changing needs of researchers and to help libraries shift the “deposit and download data” approach to a more dynamic, iterative, and efficient strategy.


The panel will conclude with a lively Q&A session with the audience.