Collecting, curating, and crunching data | News and Press Center

"Many librarians and information professionals are finding their working life is pulling them toward data support or research data management but lack the skills required. Written by Robin Rice and John Southall, two data librarians with over 30 years’ combined experience, 'The Data Librarian’s Handbook,' published by Facet Publishing and available through the ALA Store, unpicks the everyday role of the data librarian. It offers practical guidance on how to collect, curate and crunch data for economic, social and scientific purposes. With contemporary case studies from a range of institutions and disciplines, tips for best practice, study aids and links to key resources, this book is a must-read for all new entrants to the field, library and information students, and working professionals. Key topics covered include:

• the evolution of data libraries and data archives;
• handling data compared to other forms of information;
• managing and curating data to ensure effective use and longevity;
• how to incorporate data literacy into mainstream library instruction and information literacy training;
• how to develop an effective institutional research data management (RDM) policy and infrastructure;
• how to support and review a data management plan (DMP) for a project, a key requirement for most research funders;
• approaches for developing, managing, and promoting data repositories;
• handling and sharing confidential or sensitive data; and
• supporting open scholarship and open science by ensuring data are discoverable, accessible, intelligible, and assessable.

Rice is Data Librarian at EDINA and Data Library, an organization providing data services for research and education based in Information Services at the University of Edinburgh, UK. Southall is Data Librarian for the Bodleian Libraries at the University of Oxford, UK. He is based in the Social Science Library and is subject consultant for Economics, Sociology and Social Policy & Intervention."