Flying solo: data librarians working outside (traditional) libraries
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The document discusses the role of data librarians who work outside traditional libraries, focusing on managing and supporting research data. It highlights the skills and experiences of the author in data librarianship, including collaboration, communication, and knowledge of metadata and digital curation. Additionally, there are resources provided for those interested in pursuing a career in data librarianship.
![Data librarianship?
“[Using] the traditional skills and
strengths of the librarian to
enable researchers to manage,
share, publish and/or preserve
their outputs in a connected way”
@groenewegendave
“Professional library staff engaged
in managing research data, using
research data as a resource, or
supporting researchers in these
activities”
@andsdata
“The application of traditional librarianship
principles and practices to data resources…
involves one or more of the following; acquisition
(collection development), organization (cataloging
and metadata), and the implementation of
appropriate user services”
IASSIST iBlog](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/flyingsoloslides-150301164625-conversion-gate01/85/Flying-solo-data-librarians-working-outside-traditional-libraries-3-320.jpg)
Flying solo: data librarians working outside (traditional) libraries
- 1. Presented as part of the ANDS webinar Flying solo: data librarians working outside (traditional) libraries
- 2. Jane Frazier Data Librarian @ [email protected] @mignon1915
- 3. Data librarianship? “[Using] the traditional skills and strengths of the librarian to enable researchers to manage, share, publish and/or preserve their outputs in a connected way” @groenewegendave “Professional library staff engaged in managing research data, using research data as a resource, or supporting researchers in these activities” @andsdata “The application of traditional librarianship principles and practices to data resources… involves one or more of the following; acquisition (collection development), organization (cataloging and metadata), and the implementation of appropriate user services” IASSIST iBlog
- 4. based on 61 Non-Traditional Jobs for LIS Grads from the iSchool @ U Syracuse
- 5. My job description(excerpts) Provide specialist information, advice and administrative support relating to research data management Work collaboratively with partners to integrate research data management activities Provide advice and review services to research communities and institutions to describe, connect, publish and make accessible their datasets, in a way that is coherent across sectors and disciplines Coordinate, plan and organize visits to ANDS stakeholders to maximize engagement opportunities Participate in and advise on the development of project plans, strategies, policies and procedures Participate in ANDS internal processes and activities
- 6. Music performance & Musicology research How I got to my current position... ● Undergrad and Masters degrees in Opera Performance ● ‘Soft skills’ ○ Collaboration & communication ○ Self-motivation ○ Performance under pressure ○ Networking ○ Giving & receiving constructive criticism ● Humanities research & academic writing ○ La Didone and Seventeenth-Century Venetian Sexism ○ The Royal Academy of Music and the British Trading Conquest of the Early Eighteenth Century
- 7. Traditional cataloguing Music performance & Musicology research How I got to my current position... UNC-Chapel Hill Music Library ● Grad student assistantship ● Traditional MARC cataloguing ● Processing & binding of periodicals ● Curation of library exhibit Curating Sound: 75 Years of Music Collections at UNC
- 8. Digital curationDigital curation Traditional cataloguing Music performance & Musicology research How I got to my current position... ● Digital data repository environment (built on DSpace) ● Managed datasets underlying biosciences publications ● Data curation lifecycle ○ Metadata quality, DOI minting, data citation ○ Rights & licensing issues ○ Data repository software workflows ○ Communication with researchers & Dryad developers
- 9. How I got to my current position... UNC Metadata Research Center ● Project: Redesign & rebuild MRC website ○ Organisation of web information, writing for the web, Wordpress/HTML/CSS ● Project: Evaluation of automatic subject indexing of Dryad datasets ○ Conceptual mapping between controlled vocabulary terms & subjects found in Dryad metadata ● Project: Research on Dryad user-provided subject metadata ○ Recommendations for metadata best practices for Dryad scientists <MRC> Metadata research Digital curation Traditional cataloguing Music performance & Musicology research
- 10. Private sector software dev Metadata research Digital curation Traditional cataloguing Music performance & Musicology research How I got to my current position... ● Private sector/startup/agile environment ● Building non-traditional cataloguing systems outside of libraries ○ Collectibles, not bibliographic records ● Software development, systems analysis, user testing ● Requirements gathering, documentation of legacy business rules, crosswalking ● Worked with developers & non-libraries colleagues ● Communication ○ Translating between technical & non-technical language
- 11. Data librarianship Private sector software dev Metadata research Digital curation Traditional cataloguing Music performance & Musicology research Data Librarian @ ANDS ● Metadata for Research Data Australia training for librarians ● ANDS Content Providers Guide restructure ● ANDS partner institution data & RDA metadata consultancy ● Vocabularies projects ○ Vocram: Development of a collaborative vocabulary creation & management system ○ ANDS Vocabulary Service ● CSIRO Summer of Vocabularies
- 12. My day-to-day role as data librarian ● Requirements gathering & analysis ● Systems & business analysis ● Crosswalking for interoperability ○ RIF-CS, Dublin Core, schema.org, ADMS, SKOS, Dryad metadata schema ● Metadata schema research & development ● UI design & mockup work ● Writing user support documentation ● Metadata creation best practice training & support ● LibGuides administration ● Communication with ANDS & external colleagues my (current) toolkit
- 13. The main challenges in my work ● Translating ideas from a technical perspective to a non-technical one (and vice versa) ● Keeping both the user & system perspectives in mind ● Quickly switching gears from one project to another ● Learning to work with external stakeholders ● Learning about the Australian research landscape
- 14. How I develop my skills... ● Use data as a vehicle to learn about new disciplines & technologies ● Ask questions ● Be extroverted at conferences ● Overcome fear of things ‘above my skill level’ ● Google/Wikipedia/Stack Exchange/W3C/ISO are my friends ● I ❤ developers
- 15. Thinking of moving into a data librarianship role? My two cents... ● Look past job titles ● Learn how to describe your skills in language that will be meaningful to the people interviewing you ● Prepare to learn & adapt to emerging technologies ● Be proactive in developing your skills:
- 16. Databrarians Resources for Data Librarianship: http://databrarians.org/resources-for-databrarians/ Data @ Libs Data Librarianship educational resources: http://data.blogspot.com.au/2015/02/data-librarianship-educational-resources.html ALIA Jobs https://www.alia.org.au/jobs I Need A Library Job (INALJ) http://inalj.com/?p=1441 ...all over Twitter; start with @INALJNaomi http://jobs.code4lib.org/ @code4lib Information Science job search sites: http://sils.unc.edu/careers/lis-job-links/information-science-jobs UNC-SILS jobs list: http://sils.unc.edu/careers/sils-job-list
- 17. Thank you! [email protected] @mignon1915 *these slides are available at http://www.slideshare.net/mignon1915