The Data Librarian's Handbook

An insider’s guide to data librarianship packed full of practical examples and advice for any library and information professional learning to deal with data.

Interest in data has been growing in recent years. Support for this peculiar class of digital information – its use, preservation and curation, and how to support researchers’ production and consumption of it in ever greater volumes to create new knowledge, is needed more than ever. 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.

The Data Librarian’s Handbook, written by two data librarians with over 30 years’ combined experience, unpicks the everyday role of the data librarian and 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
supporting open scholarship and open science, ensuring data are discoverable, accessible, intelligible and assessable.