Evolving research data management services in academic libraries

Abstract

The transformation of academic libraries from repositories of published knowledge to active participants in the research data lifecycle represents one of the most significant shifts in the profession since the adoption of online public access catalogs. Research data management has emerged as a critical service area, driven by funder mandates, publisher requirements, and the growing recognition that data are primary research outputs deserving of curation, preservation, and reuse. This article traces the evolution of research data management services in academic libraries, examining how librarians have moved from peripheral advisory roles to embedded partnerships with researchers. It analyzes the competencies required for effective data services, including metadata, preservation, ethics, and domain-specific literacy, while acknowledging the persistent challenges of staffing, infrastructure, and researcher engagement. The discussion further explores the tensions between generalist liaison models and specialized data curation expertise, the role of library publishing platforms in data dissemination, and the emerging frontier of data citation and scholarly credit. Ultimately, the article argues that research data management is not a temporary add-on to existing library work but a fundamental reconceptualization of what academic librarianship means in an open science ecosystem.