1. Re-Tooling the Library: Staffing to
Support Data Management
Sherry Lake
Senior Scientific Data Consultant
University of Virginia Library
2012 DLF Forum Workshop
November 5, 2012

2. Brainstorm
Strengths in your
Library staff
Structure/Organization
Resources
That could be directed toward data
management support.

3. Outline
The UVa Scientific Data Consulting Model
Other Models
Takeaways
Re-skilling

4. Scientific Data Consulting Group
December/January 2010:
rethinking the earlier research support model
(budgetary pressures, changes in organizational
priorities, emerging demand in research community)
Spring 2010: close of Research Computing Lab, start-
up of the Scientific Data Consulting Group (SciDaC)

5. Developing the SciDaC Model…
Take what we learned in the RCL experience and apply
it to the focused demands around data
Steps:
Conduct a stakeholder analysis
Make a short term plan (12 months)
Develop clear priorities
Include Subject Librarians

6. Short Term Plan
Survey Office of Sponsored Programs to match grant
holders with regulations
Educate/engage subject librarians
Build political awareness/support
Build partnerships with local/national/international
groups

7. Clear Priorities
1. Data Interviews/Assessments with science and
engineering researchers
2. NSF Data Management Plan Requirement
preparation and development of policies and
workflow
3. Institutional Repository Data Working Group

8. How to make this work…
Librarians as partners
• Consult with and advise researchers
• Provide leadership to the institution
• Work with existing data organizations
In order to succeed, librarians need to:
• Build and develop specific expertise
• Facilitate communication

9. Training Librarians
UVa Library Staff Model
Scientific Data Consultants
Subject Librarians
Training Model
Brown Bag Data Curation
Discussions
Data Interviews
Goals and Objectives
Build Data Literacy
Create Collaborative Opportunities
Establish the Library for Data
Preservation

10. UVa Research Data Services
Core
Distributed
University

11. Brainstorm
Data Management Support
Any additions to your list?
Strengths in your
Library staff
Structure/Organization
Resources

12. Purdue University Libraries
D2C2: Distributed Data Curation Center
http://d2c2.lib.purdue.edu
Centered in the Research Department of the Purdue
University Libraries
Comprised of four core researchers
Work closely with subject specialist liaisons in discipline
areas throughout the Libraries
Actively engage researchers to address problems of data
curation in distributed environments

13. Purdue University Libraries
Business Information Specialist:
Develop interdisciplinary collaborations and
research opportunities with faculty to meet the
University’s and the Libraries’ strategic directions.
Geographic Information Systems Specialist
Advocates for best practices of geospatial data
management, including using open source
formats, appropriate documentation and use of
metadata to enable downstream sharing of
research data.

14. Johns Hopkins University
Data Management Services
http://dmp.data.jhu.edu
Outgrowth from the Sheridan Libraries’ work on the Data
Conservancy
Comprised of two consultants and one manager
Provide services and support to JHU PIs to prepare data
management plans for proposals
Provide research data archiving services once an award
has been made

15. Cornell University
Research Data Management Service Group
http://data.research.cornell.edu/

16. University of Wisconsin –
Madison
Research Data Services
http://researchdata.wisc.edu/
Collaboration between:
• UW-Madison Libraries • The Graduate School
• DoIT • School of Library and
• CIO office Information Studies
Data management plan help
Consultations
Training and education
Referrals (data storage, security)

17. Rutgers University
Ruresearch Data Team
http://rucore.libraries.rutgers.edu/research/
Team: programmers, developers, data specialists,
metadata librarians, and subject liaisons
Consulting on Data Management Plans and data
best practices
Permanently archiving data in the RUresearch data
portal
Work on larger and more complex data needs in
grant-funded projects

18. Brainstorm
Data Management Support
Any additions to your list?
Strengths in your
Library staff
Structure/Organization
Resources

19. Takeaways
1. Investment is critical: infrastructure is important, but
staff/services are critical
2. Gradual integration: doesn’t have to be creation of a
new unit/center/etc., just needs to be a coordinated
effort with a plan
3. Collaboration is fundamental: no single part of the
institution has all the necessary expertise, focus on
organizing the right people
4. Communicate: do your homework, come up with a
message, get the team on the same page, and spread it
far and wide (and over again)

20. Admin, Problem-solving, Risk-
Personal
taking, Self-development, Time
management
Budgeting, Business acumen, Contingency
planning, Project management, Service marketing
Management
Collaboration, Communication, Managing
Interpersonal expectations, Negotiation, Relationship-
building, Teamwork, Training
Library/ Access rights, Collection management, Discovery
tools, Information organisation, Intellectual
Info Science property, Reference consultation, Service provision
Competencies for data management
Computer Data formats, Database design, Information
modelling, Interface design, Operating
Science/IT systems, Programming, Servers, Software
maintenance, Systems administration
Domain expertise Terminology, Methodologies, Stand
ards, Techniques, Workflows
© Information School / University of Sheffield 2012

21. Variations for Data Management
Services and Programs
CommonestEasiest
one-off data consulting/DMP evaluations
consciousness-raising efforts
data-management training
policy work at the institutional level
generic storage, short-term and/or long at
the institutional level
bespoke tool-building
bespoke storage, short-term and/or long at
the institutional level
Rarest/Hardest

22. Re-Skilling Existing Staff
ICPSR Summer Course
Applied Data Science: Managing Research Data for Re-Use
http://www.icpsr.umich.edu/icpsrweb/sumprog/courses/0149
Data Curation Curriculum Search
database of programs and courses covering data curation
and closely related fields
http://cirssweb.lis.illinois.edu/DCCourseScan1/index.html
Borgman, UCLA Information Studies
Syllabus for Data, Data Practices, and Data Curation
http://works.bepress.com/borgman/262/ (Part 1)
http://works.bepress.com/borgman/261/ (Part 2)

23. Dorothea Salo Online Courses
Research Data Management Across the Disciplines (LIS 341)
Content available online
Designed and developed by Wisconsin Research Data Services
https://mywebspace.wisc.edu/dmrovner/web/LIS341.htm
Online version Digital Curation course (LIS 855)
Introduction to Research Data Management
Feb 4 – Apr 26
http://www.slis.wisc.edu/continueed-DataMgmt.htm (signup)
http://dsalo.info/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/855_2syll2012.pdf (syllabus)

24. Questions?
Sherry Lake
Senior Scientific Data Consultant, UVA Library
shlake@virginia.edu
Twitter: shlakeuva
Slideshare: http://www.slideshare.net/shlake
Web: http://www.lib.virginia.edu/brown/data

25. Slide References
Corrall, S (2012), Skills Which Librarians Need, presentation at “Clarifying The
Roles Of Libraries In Research Data Management: A Discussion Day To Find
Creative Solutions”, RLUK http://www.rluk.ac.uk/content/clarifying-roles-
libraries-research-data-management-discussion-day-find-creative-solutions
Title Slide Photo Credits
Digital Library Federation Website
http://www.diglib.org/
Westin Denver Downtown Photos
http://www.starwoodhotels.com/pub/media/1012/wes1012ex.115449_md.jpg
Home Away Vacation Rentals
http://www.homeaway.com/vacation-rental/reviews/p332233
Snow and Its Effect on Small Business - Indyposted. (2011). Retrieved September
28, 2012, from http://www.indyposted.com/186536/snow-and-its-effect-on-small-business/
Good/Transparency/Data that Surrounds Us. Good & Munday
http://awesome.good.is/transparency/web/1009/the-world-of-data/flat.html