The URL "data.gov" does not give the impression that it might lead somewhere playful and clever. But I was pleasantly surprised just how relatable and downright fun the "home of the U.S. Government’s open data" ended up being! Alyssa and I explored the platform and discovered a wide diversity of data presentation styles, from web apps for climate change to curated geographical information specific to native territories.
At the heart of data.gov's work appears to be a genuine desire to reach people with data, to engage and even delight them, and have that connection help support whatever research questions or social issues are most relevant to the user.
I found it personally super helpful to see data.gov in ation. In my previous posts, I have been kind of thinking through the relationship between libraries and communities, and also wondering how research, data, and technology figure into the equation. Even though my background is largely in research, I continue to struggle with feeling that the incremental, empiricism-or-bust model of research isn't the best way to engage people or communities - and also might not be engaging for me in the coming years or decades. I love so much about libraries, but I'm still trying to figure out how to connect the dots-- like, how would a librarian who mostly supports researchers experience a different part of the process? Would I risk just amplifying the aspects of research I find least relatable?
Data.gov is actually a really wonderful example of the kind of empowering, revelatory work that can be done with digital libraries, special collections, virtual reference, or some combination of the above. As the amount of data out there increases and increases, it becomes even more vital to have these translational tools that seek to create strong, relatable connections between individuals, communities, issues, and data. It's just a little spark for me right now, but I'm definitely eager to seek out more -- and strangely compelled to focus on map/geographic resources in particular. I could definitely see myself working with maps all day ^_^
I'm rounding out my blog commenting sheet by catching up on a few posts that I missed earlier this semester. I have to admit it was really fun to come across this post since we ended up using data.gov in our research guide. When I looked over this resource for our guide, I too was struck by how genuine the desire to connect people with data appeared to be. It really is a great resource (and free!!).
ReplyDeleteWhat was it about data.gov that excited you the most? I agree that when it comes to many government ran websites, they are lacking in creativity and overall visual appeal. I just opened up another tab to peruse data.gov and bookmark it for later.
ReplyDeleteI also agree with your statement about libraries being able to empower the public by providing "translation tools" for complex topics and open data. I worked in a law library before and while there is a strict line between helping patrons navigate legal material and giving legal advice( which many law libraries do not allow their staff to do for liability reasons), I found that many of the law librarians acted as translators of legalese, to the extent allowable by the law. This is something that I enjoyed being able to see, as a student worker and it's also part of the draw I felt to librarianship - being a translator.