On the importance of being a data-savvy librarian

Abstract

In the last years a sense of the importance of making all data related to scientific research open, shareable and therefore reusable, has spread in all the areas of scientific research. As this has generated a need to develop policies, infrastructures and services in order to assist researchers in creating, collecting, manipulating, analysing, storing and preserving datasets, this is a unique opportunity for libraries to play an active role in the research process.Librarians, along with their traditional skills, such as their ability to retrieve and organize information, consult and teach, should develop an understanding of the technical aspects of data management, developing new skills and capabilities.