Jonathan Wheeler
Data Curation Librarian
University of New Mexico
Karl Benedict
Director of Research Data Services
University of New Mexico
In the spring of 2017, Research Data Services (RDS) at the University of New Mexico (UNM) Libraries began a series of monthly workshops focused on integrating lifecycle data management concepts into common use cases for applications including Python, Pandoc, and the Unix shell. Originally developed as ‘in-reach’ to communicate corresponding RDS services to our library colleagues, the fall 2017 sessions were promoted to the broader UNM community with positive results. In particular, the sessions are well attended and an interdisciplinary community of practice has evolved among returning attendees. Sessions frequently surface specific data management needs of campus researchers in a relaxed setting which includes researchers, administrators, librarians, and research support personnel. Beyond the description and application of a handful of specific technologies, the Coffee and Code series has served to more strongly position the Libraries as a data management resource and has fostered departmental collaborations around the development of campus-wide services supporting data publishing and preservation, research information management, and compliance. In spring 2018 the series has expanded to include Coffee & Code presentations by UNM researchers outside of RDS and the library, along with a parallel set of workshops focused on more general conceptual issues including research data management, data management planning, workflow development, and documentation strategies. This project briefing will provide an overview of the drivers which motivated the series, the open source architecture of the workshops, and next steps for RDS and the Libraries as a whole.