Academic Library, e-Science/e-Research, and Data Services in a Broader Context

Abstract

Introduction The academic world is currently undergoing a period of transformation, involving the new research paradigm of e-science and e-research, and characterized by data-intensive and networked collaboration. At the same time, academic libraries are adjusting themselves to dealing with more digital material and trying to be further involved in the academic research process. This presents a unique opportunity for academic libraries to reinvent themselves based on the new escience/e-research needs and issues that are generated in the research communities that we serve. Over the last few years, new data service programs have emerged rapidly in academic libraries in the United States, which have worked hard to support data access and management, and which have approached institutional data curation as a natural extension of their traditional information organization and dissemination functions. But academic libraries are not always active initiators of data curation, especially in the current European context, in which national data centers have been developed to take on the responsibility of preserving publically-funded research data. However, even in such cases, academic libraries have the potential to act as effective mediators between researchers and information and communication technologies, funding agencies, and different entities within the centralized e-science/e-research infrastructure. Based on literature and reports that discuss current e-science/e-research development