At the Leatherby Libraries, we have an interview series highlighting the work our amazing librarians accomplish each day. These interviews help inform the community about all the different areas of the library and all the services we have! Andrew Greenman, our Data Services Librarian, was kind enough to answer some questions!

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1. What is your name and title?

My name is Andrew Greenman, and I am the Data Services Librarian. In addition to this role, I am the subject librarian for Political Science and Presidential Studies.

2. In what department of the Leatherby Libraries do you work?

I work under the Chair of Resources & Scholarly Communications.

3. How long have you been at Chapman University?

I’ve been working at Chapman for about 15 months, having started in the middle of the summer of ’22.

4. What is your job in a nutshell?

As the Data Services Librarian, my job is to help Chapman researchers with finding, locating, using, and sharing data. For example, I work with students who need datasets for project analysis and faculty who need to share data alongside a publication. I also develop resources on topics like data visualization and code sharing. As the subject librarian for Political Science and Presidential Studies, I work with faculty to ensure resources are available and consult with students in those majors.

5. Have you held any jobs at other universities or libraries?

Before coming to Chapman, I worked as a reference librarian at American University (AU) in Washington, DC. AU is a unique institution where over half the student body is in either the School of Public Affairs or the School of International Service. I supported the Political Science librarian in selecting books to purchase and handling upper-division and graduate student questions.

Before that, I worked for the University of Maryland (UMD) library in a couple of capacities while in graduate school, including on a project with UMD’s data services librarian.

6. What are your passions/interests outside of work?

I love coffee and am always happy to talk about what I’m drinking this week (a coffee from Nyeri, Kenya, roasted by The Barn in Berlin). I also play fighting games competitively, currently focusing on Guilty Gear Strive.

7. Where did you get your degree?

I attended the University of Maryland, College Park, for my MLIS.

8. Where is your hometown?

This is a tricky question for me! I’ve lived across Canada and the U.S., with an even amount of time in both countries growing up.  Most of my family lives in Vancouver, British Columbia, so I’ll go with that.

9. What is the last book you read or the last book you loved?

The last book I read was Iain M Banks’ Consider Phlebas, a re-read on a flight back from vacation last month.

10. Why is a Data Services librarian important for academic universities?

Research is changing, and the library must change along with it. For example, a new NIH policy mandated that all new grants be submitted with a “Data Management and Sharing Plan” to meet certain expectations. Librarians all over the world worked to help researchers and administrators understand the requirements. I work closely with the Office of Research and usually review this part of NIH grant applications submitted by Chapman faculty. In the next three years, all federal agencies providing research funding will have similar application policies. One aspect of my job as the Data Service Librarian is to keep on top of all of this and be a resource for our campus research community on what the requirements are and how they can be met.