Managing data management: building a RDM service at MIT Libraries

Abstract

The MIT Libraries’ Data Management Services Program (DMS) provides services in research data management (RDM) – including assistance with creating data management plans, individual RDM consultations for individuals and labs, and workshops on RDM best practices and technologies. DMS assists researchers from across campus on projects ranging from in-depth, multi-week consultations to quick, one-off advice and feedback. Questions and referrals come to DMS from the library’s reference service and subject specialists, as well as directly from researchers. DMS is currently comprised of one full-time research data librarian and six additional team members (3 new in the last six months) that have split appointments between DMS and other library departments. Additionally, DMS collaborates with groups within and external to the Libraries who have related areas of expertise. Managing a team with varying levels of bandwidth and many competing duties has led to many challenges in maintaining consistent and up-to-date knowledge of RDM across all team members, coordinating and completing new projects to expand our services, and tracking and maintaining researcher contact for future outreach. In this presentation, we will provide an overview of how the MIT Libraries DMS team works, some examples of our recent projects and consultations, our specific (but certainly generalizable) challenges of providing and expanding RDM services, and the tools that we use to meet those challenges and ensure speedy and accurate service. These include a wiki-based knowledgebase, dynamic project plans using Tableau software, a rotating on-call list, and biweekly RDM updates emails. Participants will get a chance to share their own organizational solutions or brainstorm how to tackle unresolved challenges with the benefit of tapping the experiences and lessons learned from the presenters and other attendees.