The Informatics Transform: Re-Engineering Libraries for the Data Decade

In this paper, Liz Lyon explores how libraries can re-shape to better reflect the requirements and challenges of today’s data-centric research landscape. The Informatics Transform presents five assertions as potential pathways to change, which will help libraries to re-position, re-profile, and restructure to better address research data management challenges. The paper deconstructs the institutional research lifecycle and describes a portfolio of ten data support services which libraries can deliver to support the research lifecycle phases. Institutional roles and responsibilities for research data management are also unpacked, building on the framework from the earlier Dealing with Data Report. Finally, the paper examines critical capacity and capability challenges and proposes some innovative steps to addressing the significant skills gaps. International Journal of Digital Curation (2012), 7(1), 126–138. http://dx.doi.org/10.2218/ijdc.v7i1.220 The International Journal of Digital Curation is an international journal committed to scholarly excellence and dedicated to the advancement of digital curation across a wide range of sectors. The IJDC is published by UKOLN at the University of Bath and is a publication of the Digital Curation Centre. ISSN: 1746-8256. URL: http://www.ijdc.net/ doi:10.2218/ijdc.v7i1.220 Liz Lyon 127