Data Management Services in Libraries

Activated in January 2011, the National Science Foundation requirement to include data management plans with grant proposal submissions has compelled many academic libraries to revisit their service offerings, particularly in the context of assisting researchers with managing their data in efficient, productive ways. This chapter covers the status of data management services in academic libraries in the years since the NSF requirement went into effect. It explores the reasons why data need to be managed, and why librarians and libraries are up to the task; describes the steps that various libraries have taken to determine service, staffing, and infrastructure requirements; provides a brief overview of current data management service offerings in libraries; and, in conclusion, touches on the emergence of new librarian roles, including postdoctoral positions, that have arisen to meet demands in data management and data curation in academic libraries.