The North Carolina State University Libraries has been selected to receive the 2019 LITA/Library Hi Tech Award for Outstanding Communication in Library and Information Technology. Sponsored by Emerald Publishing and the Library and Information Technology Association (LITA), the Award recognizes outstanding individuals or institutions for their long-term contributions to the education of the Library and Information Science technology field.
“The Award Committee selected NC State University because of its work through the Data Science and Visualization Institute for Librarians (DSVIL) to increase the pool of data science-savvy people working in libraries,“ said Chair Tod A. Olson. Since 2015, the annual week-long event has hosted 119 participants, and covered topics such as data exploration, statistical analysis, bibliometric analysis, data visualization, data description, sharing, and reuse, data cleaning and preparation, version control with git and github, analyzing textual data, and mapping and geospatial visualization.
Olson went on to commend the team at the NCSU Libraries for its annual commitment, depth of training, and the number of librarians who have benefited from DVSIL all of which make NC State University a worthy recipient for this Award. The Libraries will receive a citation and a $1,000 stipend in recognition of its achievements.
When notified they were selected as this year’s recipient, Jennifer Garrett (Director, Talent Management) said, “In launching the Data Science and Visualization Institute for Librarians (DSVIL), we wanted to grow a community of practice, to essentially deepen the capacity of our profession, in the areas of data science and visualization. And it has been really rewarding to see these efforts bear fruit. The program has connected librarians around the globe, from a range of disciplines and backgrounds, who were passionate about developing the knowledge, skills, and confidence needed to communicate effectively with their researchers. Many have even gone on to implement their own data training programs or have created data science positions at their home institutions. For us, DSVIL has provided the necessary opportunities to shift perceptions of where a library fits as a contributing member of the research enterprise and has enabled librarians to become catalysts in emerging and competitive research processes.”
Members of the 2019 LITA/Library Hi-Tech Award Committee are: Tod A. Olson (Chair), Charissa J. Brammer, Michael A. Rodriguez, Holly A. Tomren, and Dr. Patrick T. Colegrove (Past Chair).
Thank you to Emerald Publishing for sponsoring this award.
