Canadian Library Association Feliciter April 2014 Issue

The April 2014 issue of Feliciter, the monthly journal of the Canadian Library Association (CLA), is available on line.

The theme of the issue is data management.

From the editorial:

"If your eyes glaze over when someone mentions data management in libraries, or if you think that data management is a concept reserved for technical services or academic institutions, you are not alone. While soliciting articles for the data management-themed issue of Feliciter, we were surprised at how many of our library peers were convinced that data management is a concept that does not apply to them. The truth is, data management is not something that became relevant in the information age; it is what we have been doing in libraries all along."

"One of the many goals of libraries is the provision of access to information, as well as the delivery of support in interpreting that information. Though these goals have not changed dramatically over time, the nature of information and users’ expectations certainly have. So while our goals have remained unaltered, the path we take to achieve them must change to accommodate the evolving nature of information, and of data.Enter the data management theme issue. We solicited articles for this issue that reflect data management for every library professional, in the hopes of dispelling some of the myths surrounding the topic, such as:

• Data management involves nothing more than research data.
  While it is true that research data is a big, important issue in data management, there are many aspects of data management, including metadata, patron data, statistical data, and data security, that are also important for libraries.
• Data management is reserved for technical services.
  Like many library functions, managing data in a meaningful way relies on all stakeholders – from the user to the public services team to the technical services team – playing a role in preserving, manipulating, and protecting data.
• It is OK to put data management on the back burner.
  Data management is a crucial element of librarianship and one that will help keep our institutions relevant in the future. Acknowledging its centrality and reacting to the changing data environment is an important step in safeguarding the information profession."

"The articles we have selected for this issue cover various aspects of data management and how they apply in disciplines ranging from law to medicine."

Among the feature articles on the subject are:

• Mischief Managed: A Brief Introduction to Data Management
  by Kim Silk
• Research Data Management at Concordia University: A Survey of Current Practices
  by Alex Guindon  
• Is eDiscovery the New Frontier in Information Management?
  by Ariana Ross 
• Following the Trail of Breadcrumbs: Your Health from Data to Decisions
  by Lee-Anne Ufholz & Lindsey Sikora  
• Metadata Management on a Budget
  by David Cook  
• Beyond the Hype: Data Management and Data Governance
  by Melanie Sucha