Data Management: A Practical Guide for Librarians(Practical Guides for Librarians)

Libraries organize information and data is information, so it is natural that librarians should help people who need to find, organize, use, or store data. Organizations need evidence for decision making; data provides that evidence. Inventors and creators build upon data collected by others. All around us, people need data. Librarians can help increase the relevance of their library to the research and education mission of their institution by learning more about data and how to manage it. Data Management will guide readers through: Understanding data management basics and best practices.Using the reference interview to help with data managementWriting data management plans for grants.Starting and growing a data management service.Finding collaborators inside and outside the library.Collecting and using data in different disciplines.

Table of Contents:
Dedication List of Illustrations Preface Acknowledgments Chapter 1. What is Data and Why Should Librarians be Involved? Chapter 2. Understanding Research and the Role of Data Chapter 3. Best Practices for Working with Research Data Chapter 4. Data Interviews Chapter 5. Storing, Curating, and Preserving Data Chapter 6. Documentation and Metadata Chapter 7. Publishing and Sharing Data Chapter 8. Writing Data Management Plans Chapter 9. Starting Data Management Services Chapter 10. Leveraging Partnerships Chapter 11. Expanding RDM Service Chapter 12. Teaching Data Chapter 13. Reusing Data Chapter 14. Data Management Roles for Librarians A Glossary of Data and Data Management Terms Index About the Author

About the Author :
Margaret E. Henderson has been Director, Research Data Management and Associate Professor, Virginia Commonwealth University Libraries, since the fall of 2013. She has helped with university data policy, lectured on grant compliance issues, provided data management instruction, and assisted with data management plans for grants. Margaret has also published peer-reviewed articles and has been an organizer and presenter at meetings such as MLA and RDAP, as well as an invited speaker at the eScience Symposium. Margaret is a Distinguished Member of the Academy of Health Information Professionals and completed a graduate certificate in Biomedical Informatics from the Oregon Health and Sciences University. During her time at VCU, she has been Research and Education Librarian in the Tompkins-McCaw Library for the Health Sciences, and database manager for the Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, School of Medicine. Prior to moving to Virginia, Margaret was the Director of Libraries and Archives at the Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory in New York. Margaret received her MLIS from the University of Western Ontario SLIS (now FIMS).

Review :
Henderson does an excellent job of encapsulating and applying techniques from the growing body of RDM literature, as well as including her own perspective from her extensive experience at Virginia Commonwealth University. Her advice on how to approach researchers and librarian colleagues is very honest, and reminds us that those who are not in “our world” see things in different ways.... The book is strong.... [T]his inexpensive book is a great place to start for anyone not wholly familiar with RDM and its services who has had the “deer-in-headlights” experience of being tasked with learning more and developing a plan for RDM services in their library. Data Management: A Practical Guide for Librarians should be in the hands of any librarian who seeks to find solid background information on data management. Those who seek to establish a plan will find a detailed outline of goals, objectives, aims, theories, policies, technical considerations, and best practices. That the book was written from the perspective of a health information professional and experienced data manager may provide extra appeal for librarians in the health sciences. In Data Management: A Practical Guide for Librarian, Margaret Henderson has made a significant contribution to the effort in libraries to develop their data-related services. Her deep understanding of the field and countless relationships with experts make her one of the few authorities in libraries that can write a comprehensive guide, such as this one, for the library community. Henderson’s book covers the background knowledge needed by all data librarians and ideas for advancing data management services. This book will be of great value to librarians at all career stages. Data Management: A Practical Guide for Librarians is the book we've needed for research data management services in libraries. Henderson provides a well-rounded framework for growing research data management services in libraries. It covers not just what services could be provided, but offers sound guidance on how to provide them. Whether your library is just getting started with data or has a well-established suite of services, this book will serve as a useful reference for any librarian.