Purdue University Libraries, Harvard collaborate to coordinate symposium
June 30, 2015
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Harvard Library and Purdue University Libraries collaborated in hosting a two-day data management symposium at Harvard on June 16-17. The focus of the symposium centered on new roles for libraries as part of data management strategies during all parts of the research cycle. Attendees came from across the country.
The Symposium incorporated visionary ideas, new concepts and inspirational speakers. The purpose was to promote data awareness and integration of library services into the research cycle, and to demonstrate that data management is not simply about compliance but also about building relationships and engaging stakeholders at all levels.
Well-managed data can allow researchers to develop new lines of inquiry that would not have been possible previously and to communicate their work in innovative ways; librarians can contribute to this effort.
“The agreement by Sarah Thomas, my counterpart at Harvard, to have Harvard Library collaborate with Purdue University Libraries on this symposium recognizes the high regard in which Purdue University Libraries is held for its leadership role in data management. I was very proud of the presentations and participation of my Purdue colleagues at the symposium,” said James L. (Jim) Mullins, dean of libraries and Esther Ellis Norton Professor at Purdue.
The symposium was planned by a joint committee made up of Harvard and Purdue individuals; from Purdue Libraries it included: Paul Bracke, associate dean for research and assessment; Scott Brandt, professor of library science and data specialist; and, Michael Witt, associate professor of library science and head, Distributed Data Curation Center (D2C2).
Other faculty from Purdue who presented and participated were: Jeffrey T. Bolin, associate vice president for research centers, cores, and research development services and professor of biological sciences, Department of Biological Science; and Sylvie Brouder, professor of agronomy, College of Agriculture.
On June 18, a workshop was held that brought together groups from only Harvard and Purdue to explore in more detail specific challenges facing data management at the two universities. Purdue Libraries faculty and staff who presented at the workshop included: Amy Barton, assistant professor of library science and metadata specialist; Scott Brandt, professor of library science and data specialist; Marianne Stowell Bracke, associate professor of library science and agricultural sciences information specialist; Paul Bracke, associate dean for research and assessment; Nastasha Johnson, assistant professor of library science and physical and mathematical sciences information specialist; Line Pouchard, assistant professor of library science and data specialist and Michael Witt, associate professor of library science and head, Distributed Data Curation Center (D2C2).
Contributors to the workshop from Purdue Libraries included: Carly Dearborn, digital preservation and electronic records archivist; Nicole Kong, assistant professor of library science and GIS specialist; Megan Sapp Nelson, associate professor of library science and data information literacy specialist; and Pete Pascuzzi, assistant professor of library science and molecular biosciences information specialist.
Full details on the symposium can be found at: http://library.harvard.edu/harvard-purdue-data
Contact: Shannon Walker, 765-496-9610, walker81@purdue.edu
