Data Collections Need A Dictionary, Too.

Data that libraries collect and make available to researchers come in all shapes and sizes. Sometimes they’re a discrete dataset, sometimes they’re in the form of a database, or accessed via a data portal. They also have descriptors that may or may not be unique to data – some convey something about their license (e.g. vended or open), or their access (e.g. mediated or unmediated), and some indicate what is in them (e.g. PII or PHI). In order to improve data collection workflows and coordination, we created a Data Collection Working Group comprising representatives from Collections, Cataloging, E-Resources, Liaison Librarians, and Data Services. Our group discuss everything from initial product evaluation and negotiations, to acquisition, storage, access and discovery, and maintenance. This cross-department collaboration necessitated the creation of a Data Collections Dictionary to establish a shared language and to build literacy. It defines various types of data products to help differentiate them, along with key terms like the aforementioned descriptors to ensure an appreciation and understanding of the domain specificity. This foundation has been critical to both confirming the need for data-specific workflows and to working collaboratively on the development of ones that address issues unique to these materials.