Book Review: Data Management for Libraries: A LITA Guide

Abstract

Data Management for Libraries: A LITA Guide. By Laura Krier and Carly A. Strasser. Chicago: ALA TechSource, 2014. 112 p. $58 paperback (ISBN: 978-1-55570-969-3). Data Management for Libraries provides a brief guide to data management for librarians who are novices in this emerging area. The book is organized into eight chapters, with three appendixes. Chapter 1 provides a basic overview of data, data management, and the data curation lifecycle. Chapter 2 a variety of considerations for starting a new service: developing a new service as a pilot project; collaborating with other colleagues within both the library and the institution during the entire data lifecycle; training scholars to better manage their data; and staffing, particularly when that staffing requires that existing librarians take on responsibilities without relinquishing others. The general information regarding starting a new service includes several considerations that are worthwhile for initiating any new service. Particular to data management are planning for data preservation as a part of the service, and also data training for researchers that may not have experience in data management. Chapter 3 is devoted to an overview of data management plans. Librarians are well-poised to assist researchers in this particular capacity, especially since many researchers currently lack the skills to write a data management plan. Some researchers may need extra motivation to create a data management plan, and this chapter provides useful suggestions to help researchers find value in writing a plan. This chapter also provides an overview of the components of a data management plan, including: description of data/metadata; security, ethics and intellectual property; plans for data access, sharing and reuse; plans for short-term management and storage; plans for long-term management/ storage; resources needed to implement the plan. The chapter offers several questions to generate the readers' ideas of what may need to be considered in a data management plan, and concludes with some advice for complying with funder requirements. Chapter 4 discusses the data management interview, which is similar to a reference interview. The chapter summarizes previous research into data curation profiles and personas of researchers that may require assistance with data management. It also stresses the importance of involving liaison/reference librarians in data management since they are likely the colleagues that already have strong relationships with researchers at the institution. An important role for librarians may be to raise components of data management when interviewing researchers. Like the reference interview, data management interviews require active listening. Chapters 5 and 6 address facets of data management wherein librarians clearly lead their institutions regarding expertise: metadata and preservation. In chapter five, the authors provide an overview of the three different types of metadata that can describe a dataset: descriptive, administrative, and structural. …