OSU receives Institute for Museum and Library Services grant

Tuesday, June 26, 2018

The OSU Library was recently awarded nearly $25,000 from the Institute of Museum and Library Services to develop a research model and project management toolkit to help libraries enhance research data management. Using customer journey mapping and design thinking, the project team will consult 27 OSU faculty across STEM fields and the social sciences to document their goals, processes and habits.

Cinthya Ippoliti, Associate Dean of Library Research and Learning Services, and Nicole Sump-Crethar, Interim Associate Dean of Library Operations, serve as co-principal investigators on the project.

“It’s important to note that our emphasis is on developing a process that other institutions can replicate,” Ippoliti said. “We are not attempting to provide a one-size-fits-all approach, but rather to provide librarians and researchers with a model for structuring their data management practices in a way that is scalable and applicable to any academic environment.”

Research data management gained global attention in 2013 when funding agencies like the National Science Foundation established requirements making research data openly available and the research behind it replicable. In the years following, libraries have steadily expanded research data services, including data management, data publishing/archiving, and data curation. In practice, there lacks a deep understanding of how researchers develop internal data management processes. This project aims to help libraries everywhere close this knowledge gap.

Work on the project begins July 2018, with a goal of launching the toolkit in June 2019.

“We are optimistic that our project will help address these issues at a national level and bring them to the attention of organizations such as the Association of College and Research Libraries that are in a position to develop and influence policy and harness shared resources across institutions to develop a more rich, scalable and sustainable set of best practices and workflows than are currently available,” Sump-Crethar said.

The Institute of Museum and Library Services is the primary source of federal support for the nation’s approximately 120,000 libraries and 35,000 museums. Its mission is to inspire libraries and museums to advance innovation, lifelong learning, and cultural and civic engagement. Its grant making, policy development, and research help libraries and museums deliver valuable services that make it possible for communities and individuals to thrive. To learn more, visit www.imls.gov and follow IMLS on Facebook and Twitter.