The changing role of libraries in an open data world
Libraries have always played a pivotal role in the creation, preservation, and dissemination of knowledge. While the Internet means that we are certainly less reliant on libraries than before, they still provide information and services that are vital to communities and institutions.
With the advent of open data and open science, libraries must rise to face new challenges and embrace opportunities to better support their users and communities. I would like to explore some of the ways that libraries are adapting to the changing landscape of scholarly communication and share some insights into how libraries can best adapt to the shifting environment.
The roles of 21st century libraries
Facilitating access and discovery
Libraries have always facilitated the access and discovery of information resources. This tradition will continue in the open data age. This includes providing enhanced access to open access and open data resources, as well as helping users navigate the complex and diverse landscape of data sources and platforms. Indeed, many librarians are reporting that the demand for this support is growing.
Libraries go beyond acting as facilitators of access. They can also become publishers or hosts of open data by establishing institutional or disciplinary repositories, building open data infrastructures, and digitizing their collections. For example, the National Institute of Informatics (NII) in Japan, which has both acted as a library and produced software to facilitate the work done by libraries, provided NII-ELS data repository, which has since been rolled into Japan’s J-STAGE service. They also produced GakuNin RDM for research data management, JAIRO Cloud for institutional repositories.
Libraries can also leverage their expertise in metadata, cataloging, and linking to enhance the discoverability and interoperability of open data. For example, the Indian Statistical Institute Library uses DSpace software to create metadata records for open data sets hosted on various platforms, such as Data.gov.in, Open Government Data Platform India, and World Bank Open Data .
Data management and curation
Libraries are also increasingly providing data management and curation services for their users. This involves helping researchers plan, organize, document, store, preserve, and share their data throughout the research lifecycle.
Libraries can offer guidance and support on various aspects of data management, such as developing management plans, choosing appropriate data formats and standards, applying metadata schemas and identifiers, selecting suitable data repositories or platforms, complying with funder or publisher policies, and licensing data for reuse.
Libraries can also directly assist researchers in curating their data to ensure its quality and usability over time. This may include activities such as validating, cleaning, transforming, annotating, enriching, linking, or archiving data.
For example, the Korea Institute of Science and Technology Information (KISTI) provides a comprehensive range of data management and curation services for researchers in Korea. Their data curation initiative provides a platform for hosting data, services for data curation, and consulting services.
Data literacy and training
Librarians have considerable data literacy skills. They can apply these skills to provide data literacy and management training for their users. Such training can help researchers develop the skills and competencies to more effectively find, evaluate, use, create, and communicate with data.
Libraries can offer various types of data literacy programs, such as workshops, webinars, tutorials, guides, or certificates. Such initiatives are not only useful for researchers, they can also be of great value to the public at large. In recent years, information literacy is emerging as a crucial topic in public policy.
For example, the National Library Board in Singapore offers a well-curated collection of data literacy resources, workshops, and school courseware to the public, known as the S.U.R.E. Campaign. These resources aim to equip all citizens with the basic knowledge and skills to understand, interpret, communicate with, and make sense of data in everyday life to use it effectively and avoid misinformation.
Data visualization and analysis
Libraries can also provide data visualization training and services. Indeed, virtually all universities offer software, resources, and services pertaining to data visualization. Helping researchers understand and use these tools can help researchers explore, understand, and communicate their data more effectively.
Libraries can offer access to and training for various types of software and hardware for data visualization and analysis. Examples include:
- Statistical software, including both proprietary options like SPSS or Stata, or free software like R.
- Visualization software, such as the commercial system Tableau or free framework D3.js.
- Geographic information systems like ArcGIS or QGIS
- Virtual or augmented reality devices, such as Oculus Rift or Apple Vision pro.
Libraries also provide general support and guidance such as information on choosing appropriate tools or techniques for a data type and purpose, or training on best practices and principles of data visualization and analysis to improve the impact and effectiveness of data visualizations, such as interactive presentations or dashboards
For example, University of Minnesota libraries offers a useful portal on data visualization services, including a toolkit on implementing these services in libraries. It is fairly exhaustive and definitely worth bookmarking if you plan to implement or improve your data visualization services.
Data privacy and ethics
Libraries can provide data privacy and ethics services for their users. This involves providing information to help researchers protect the rights and interests of research participants, comply with relevant laws and regulations, and adhere to ethical standards and principles. More than ever, it is vital for researchers to follow strict data protection laws and regulations, such as the General Data Protection Regulation in Europe, the Personal Information Protection Act in Korea, the Act on the Protection of Personal Information in Japan, and more. Librarians can help researchers avoid the pitfalls of these increasingly strictly enforced laws
Libraries can play an important part in ensuring that researchers uphold codes of conduct by disseminating information on ethical guidelines such as the FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable) or the CARE (Collective Benefit, Authority to Control, Responsibility, Ethics) principles.
Finally, they can provide more practical information and guidance on preparing data consent forms, anonymizing participants, and implementing security measures. They can also act as a repository for guidebooks and pro forma institutional consent forms.
Conclusion
Libraries can harness their expertise and resources to guide the development of the nascent open science movement towards positive ends. By doing so, they advance scientific knowledge, promote research impact, and enhance public good. Librarians have long been the stewards of knowledge in their communities and understanding the open data movement will enable them to continue that tradition well into the future.
