The Local Data Support Landscape in the UK

Abstract

This paper will report on existing data support infrastructures within the UK tertiary education community. The paper will then discuss early methods and traditions of data collection within UK territories. In addition it will focus on the current UK data landscape with particular reference to specialized national data centres which provide access to large-scale government surveys, macro socio-economic data, population censuses and spatial data. It will conclude by outlining examples of local data support services with particular reference to the ‘accidental’ nature of the data librarian, their organizational role and areas of expertise in addition to future developments.