ACRL releases Curating Research Data two-volume set

CHICAGO – The Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL) announces the publication of the two-volume “Curating Research Data,” edited and authored by Lisa R. Johnston. These volumes present those tasked with long-term stewardship of digital research data a blueprint for how to curate those data for eventual reuse.

Data are becoming the proverbial coin of the digital realm: a research commodity that might purchase reputation credit in a disciplinary culture of data sharing, or buy transparency when faced with funding agency mandates or publisher scrutiny. Unlike most monetary systems, however, digital data can flow in all too great an abundance. This profusion of digital research data challenges library and information science professionals to harness the flow of information streaming from research discovery and scholarly pursuit and preserve the unique evidence for future use.

Volume One, "Practical Strategies for Your Digital Repository," explores the concepts of research data and the types and drivers for establishing digital data repositories. Volume Two, "A Handbook of Current Practice," looks across the data lifecycle and into the practical strategies and techniques for curating research data in a digital repository setting. Data curators, archivists, research data management specialists, subject librarians, institutional repository managers, and digital library staff will benefit from these current and practical approaches to data curation.

Digital data is ubiquitous and rapidly reshaping how scholarship progresses now and into the future. The information expertise of librarians can help ensure the resiliency of digital data, and the information it represents, by addressing how the meaning, integrity, and provenance of digital data generated by researchers today will be captured and conveyed to future researchers.

 “Curating Research Data” is available for purchase in print through the ALA Online Store; in print for volume one and volume two through Amazon.com; and by telephone order at (866) 746-7252 in the U.S. or (770) 442-8633 for international customers.

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The Association of College & Research Libraries (ACRL) is the higher education association for librarians. Representing nearly 11,000 academic and research librarians and interested individuals, ACRL (a division of the American Library Association) develops programs, products and services to help academic and research librarians learn, innovate and lead within the academic community. Founded in 1940, ACRL is committed to advancing learning and transforming scholarship. ACRL is on the Web at acrl.org, Facebook at facebook.com/ala.acrl and Twitter at @ala_acrl.