The emergence of data intensive science and the establishment of data management mandates have motivated academic libraries to develop research data services (RDS) for their faculty and students. Here the results of two studies are reported: librarians' RDS practices in U.S. and Canadian academic research libraries, and the RDS-related library policies in those or similar libraries. Results show that RDS are currently not frequently employed in libraries, but many services are in the planning stages. Technical RDS are less common than informational RDS, RDS are performed more often for faculty than for students, and more library directors believe they offer opportunities for staff to develop RDS-related skills than the percentage of librarians who perceive such opportunities to be available. Librarians need opportunities to learn more about these services either on campus or through attendance at workshops and professional conferences.
It is clear that some academic research libraries are offering a variety of research data management services and more plan to do so within the next two years. Most commonly these services are extensions of traditional informational or consultative services, such as helping faculty and students locate datasets or repositories. A small, but growing, number of libraries are becoming more involved with research data, from helping with data management plans to preparing and preserving research data for deposit in data repositories.
Many of the librarians who work in academic research libraries feel they have the subject knowledge necessary to help their constituents with research data services, but need the opportunity to take advantage of continuing education. Whether consultative or hands-on services, librarians need opportunities to learn more about these services either on their own campus or through attendance at workshops and professional conferences.
Working with others on campus, as both teachers and joint learners of research data service specifics, will help the library play a shared role in building the future of research data at their universities.
The comparisons drawn here between library policy on RDS and the perceptions of front-line librarians as they implement this policy, indicates some misalignment. However, that is to be expected, as most libraries are in the early stages of making RDS available. Increased awareness of this issue within the academic library community is likely to result in more effective development of RDS.