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Usually, when we search for a solution, we start with a question and then seek out answers. According to Viktor Mayer-Sch\u00f6nberger<\/a>, one of the plenary speakers at the 2017 OCLC EMEA Regional Council Meeting in Berlin<\/a>, big data flips that equation on its head.<\/p>\n Tying into the event\u2019s theme, \u201cLibraries at the Crossroads: Resolving Identities,\u201d Viktor explained that big data is all about gaining new perspectives on the world. It is revolutionizing what we see and how we process information. And he explained that with big data, we start with answers\u2014what the data tells us\u2014and then go back to fill in appropriate questions and hypotheses.<\/p>\n As a Professor at Oxford University\u2019s Internet Institute and author of Big Data: A Revolution That Will Transform How We Live, Work, and Think<\/a><\/em>, Viktor also explained that every additional data point is an opportunity to boost customer services and find new synergies. He talked about the quantity of big data translating into a new capability to make sense of patterns.<\/p>\n <\/p>\nLibrarians have been big data crunchers in collecting bibliographic data. How do we move these efforts forward? <\/a><\/span>Share on X<\/a><\/span>\n As I thought about his presentation, I wondered about the impact of big data on libraries. In our own way, we librarians have been big data crunchers for decades. We\u2019ve made great strides in collecting bibliographic data at scale. So how do we move these efforts forward?<\/p>\n Big data has made processing large collections of data inexpensive and fast. It provides the ability for forward-looking decision-making based on data from multiple, disparate data sources.<\/p>\n Some recent opportunities include:<\/p>\n Curating research data<\/strong>. University researchers and government agencies manage and preserve massive digital assets\u2014images, text and data\u2014that require integrated management and preservation programs. These data include project proposals, grant proposals, researcher notes, researcher profiles, datasets, experiment results, article drafts and copies of published articles. The library\u2019s role in connecting and curating these institutional assets is needed and a big opportunity for new services. OCLC Research scientists are exploring topics<\/a> related to data curation and libraries with an eye toward distinctive services that will support research missions.<\/p>\n Aggregating library data<\/strong>. We are leveraging members’ collected knowledge investment for efficiency and re-use by libraries and other organizations. One example is the Virtual International Authority File (VIAF<\/a>), which virtually combines multiple name authority files into a single dataset. By linking disparate names for the same person or organization, VIAF provides a convenient means for a wider community of libraries and other agencies to repurpose bibliographic data produced by libraries that serve\u00a0different language communities. VIAF became an OCLC service in 2012 and today, 25 national libraries from 30 countries are represented in the cooperative data file.<\/p>\nPositioning libraries for big data success<\/h2>\n