Coping With The Data Deluge

Have you given much thought recently to the amount of data your researchers generate? Probably not. Where’s it going and who’s archiving it? Thanks to digital technology, scientists are generating vast amounts of valuable data that, months later, may be irretrievable or indecipherable. This could be a job for the academic library. This week’s Chronicle has a feature article about the “data deluge” and how some institutions are dealing with the challenges it brings. If this is an issue that concerns you or if your library is already tackling the problem you may want to join the Chronicle’s live online discussion on Thursday (6/22) at 2 p.m EST. The discussion will focus on what libraries should do about the “data deluge” in science. The discussion will be lead by Scott Brandt, an associate dean of libraries at Purdue University, as he outlines his institution’s attempt to set up data repositories for faculty scientists. He will answer questions and respond to comments on the topic. Questions or comments about the topic are welcome anytime: http://chronicle.com/colloquy/2006/06/data/