This document summarizes a presentation on how repository and subject librarian roles interact to support data management based on evidence from UK institutions. It finds that repository managers are playing a leading role in developing research data management policies, guidance, and support services. Subject librarians are also getting involved through training to expand their skills, though some resistance exists. Examples from three post-1992 universities show repository managers developing surveys, guidance, and training for subject librarians. Key gaps are getting researchers to deposit data and providing long-term preservation, while challenges include fulfilling consultancy roles and recommending repositories.

1. How will repository and subject librarians
roles interact to support data management?
evidence from UK institutions
Angus Whyte
Sarah Jones, Marieke Guy
Digital Curation Centre
a.whyte@ed.ac.uk
Institutional Repositories Dealing with Data
OR2013 Workshop
8 July 2013, Prince Edward Island

2. Aims
1. Outline UK programmes to help Higher Education
Institutions develop RDM services
2. Background on the Digital Curation Centre
DCC role in developing services
1. Outline emerging RDM services
Our view of what they are
Recent surveys on library plans & priorities
2. Examples in ‘new’ universities
Repository manager & subject librarian roles
Share examples and
lessons
What gaps and
challenges?

3. Digital Curation Centre
• Est. 2004, Jisc funded partnership across 3
universities - Bath, Edinburgh and Glasgow
• Digital curation challenges across institutions and
disciplines
• HEFCE funding from 2011 for targeted support to
help institutions build capacity and capability in
managing research data

4. Institutional engagement programme
21 Degree
awarding
Russell
Group
7 e.g. St
Andrews
Pre-1992
13 e.g.
Surrey
Post-1992
4 e.g. Oxford
Brookes
Research
intensive
England, Wales, Scotland, N. Ireland

5. JISC Managing Research Data
• 25 x Infrastructure projects 2009-13
• DCC input - tool provision and
support for events
• Help extract, amplify and transfer
programme outputs across sector
• E.g. How-to guides, case studies

6. Envision Initiate Discover Design Implement Evaluate
RDM Development Process
But its non-linear really!
…cycles of negotiation and compromise towards ‘continuous improvement’

7. Envision Initiate Discover Design Implement Evaluate
RDM Development Process
Advocacy, policy developmentDCC

8. Envision Initiate Discover Design Implement Evaluate
RDM Development Process
Readiness, requirements and risk assessment
CARDIO – Collaborative Assessment of Research Data Infrastructure and Objectives
DAF – Data Asset Framework
DCC

9. Emerging Services – DCC/MRD

10. Emerging Services – Library Surveys
221 institutions US and Canada
(of which 99 universities)
Academic Libraries and Research
Data Services: Current practices and
plans for the future
Carol Tenopir, Ben Birch, Suzie Allard
University of Tennessee
Assoc. College & Research
Libraries, June 2012

11. Emerging Services - Surveys
81 UK higher education institutions
Research data management and
libraries: Current activities and
future priorities
Andrew Cox and Stephen Pinfield
Information School, University of
Sheffield
Journal of Librarianship and
Information Science June 28, 2013

12. Emerging Services – Comparison*
High expectations of prioritising/
planning delivery over next 2-3
years.
So how far should we match
‘technical’ services with
Repository Manager roles
& ‘informational/ consultancy’
with e.g. Subject Librarian?
What do we find Repository
Managers doing in service
development?
•rough, some fields merged, figures
averaged
% current (plan) US, Ca UK
Policy/ advocacy - 51 (61)
Online guidance 25 (46) 24 (52)
DMP support 26 (28) 25 (46)
Early career awareness - 32 (43)
Reference – find, use, cite 49 (33) 42 (57)
Impact tracking - 11 (28)
RDM advocacy, consultancy - 28 (26)
OutreachRDSproviders 16 (30) -
Direct participation 27 (24) -
Data transformation 16 (33) 12 (36)
IPR, copyright, licensing - 33 (46)
Data appraisal/ selection 17 (38) -
Preparing data for deposit 15 (33) -
Data catalogue, metadata 23 (34) 16 (56)
Data repository 18 (39) 19 (51)

13. Examples- New Universities
• Three “post-1992” institutions
– University of Northampton, Oxford Brookes University, University of East
London
– Postgrad students= 2500, 4260, 6795 respectively
• Repository manager led, or actively engaged in developing
– Policy response to funder requirements
– Online guidance
– Support for data mgmt planning
– Outreach to engage with other service providers
– Surveys/ interviews to scope research data, practices and requirements
– Skills development for Subject Librarians
• In each case Subject Librarians getting involved, see reskilling need with
some resistance

14. Examples- New Universities
• Three “post-1992” institutions
– University of Northampton, Oxford Brookes University, University of
East London (Postgrad students= 2500, 4260, 6795 respectively )
• Repository manager led, or actively engaged in developing
– Policy response to funder requirements
– Online guidance
– Support for data mgmt planning
– Surveys/ interviews to scope research data, practices and
requirements
– Skills development for Subject Librarians

15. Oxford Brookes University
Several hundred research active
staff
Strategy to build research
profile, interdisciplinary research &
infrastructure
Driver: Engineering and Physical
Science Research Council policy
expectations
Steering group PVC led, action by
repository and research office mgrs
Awareness training to faculty, with DAF survey follow-up, Subject Librarian
involvement and subsequent training

16. Roles of Repository & Subject Librarians?
• Subject Librarians getting involved, see reskilling need
(some resistance)
– ACRL Report
– “Reassigning existing library staff common tactic”
– … “Identifying and collecting data and data sets to include in
repositories has become increasingly important, leading to the
need to train staff members whose collection experience may be
limited to mostly traditional materials.”
• Repository managers active in kickstarting ‘softer’
capabilities in our experience
• If the hat fits wear it, but try it out first!

17. Gaps and Challenges?
• Challenge - getting data, fulfilling the consultancy role
• Gap - Guiding researchers on what to keep
• Recommending repos – certification both a challenge and gap!
• Preservation – a bridge to be built and crossed – resource
challenge
• Data publication – new genres e.g. data blogs and data
papers, new workflows and skills

18. Thank you
Questions, comments?
Your experiences?
Other national surveys?