University Libraries to host first ever Love Data Week @ Alden Library

Ohio University Libraries will be hosting its first-ever “Love Data Week” with two events highlighting data and its connection to the Libraries. On Tuesday, Feb. 13, at 1 p.m. in Alden 319 is “Fireside chat” with Dr. Andrea Grover, associate professor of information systems and quantitative analysis at the University of Nebraska-Omaha. A short video will be played followed by an open conversation on the intersections of data, research and the participatory sciences.

On Thursday, Feb. 15, at 9:30 a.m., also in Alden 319, is “Finding yOUr kind of data” with a focus on ways the Libraries can help you find, manage and work with your kind of data throughout the research lifecycle and in the classroom. There will be time for participants to share their kind of data and are encouraged to bring an anecdote related to their data interest, any questions about working with Open Data, or topics they wish to learn more about.

Love Data Week is an international campaign with the 2024 theme being “My Kind of Data.” What was originally established as “Love Your Data” week in 2016 as a U.S. event, grew to become international with many institutions, organizations, scholars, students and data lovers alike could celebrate data.

According to The Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research, the host institute for Love Data Week in 2021, the aim was to “celebrate data in all its forms, promote good research data management strategies, share data success and horror stories, and ask hard questions about the role of data in our lives,” as well as to help educate through “data equity and inclusion, disciplinary communities and creating a kinder world through data.” Other universities, such as the Ohio State University and the University of Michigan, are also participating with their own spin on showcasing the importance of data.

This year will be University Libraries’ first time participating in the event, and Jonathan Brier, data services librarian, is spearheading the process. As a new staff member of the Libraries, Brier has been wanting to increase the visibility of data at OHIO with the vision of Love Data week becoming an annual event.

“We're trying to build up a set of data-related events for people,” Brier said. “That's the broader vision of what I'm trying to do… The core pieces of what we can do that is effective for the audience [is]: having accessibility, rethinking about their data and then also understanding what resources they have.” 

Brier also mentioned while leading the initiatives that he hopes to bring more light to data at OHIO.

“This will not be the only event,” explained Brier.  “We're beginning to build our additional data-focused events and research-focused events that will operate here. So, stay tuned.”

For more information, please contact Jonathan Brier, data services librarian, at brierjon@ohio.edu.