"A much needed call to action to ensure that librarians retain their essential role as guides, curators, and knowledgeable experts as every aspect of our lives becomes increasingly data driven. ... essential reading for anyone about to jump down the Big Data rabbit hole!"
—Rick Smolan, co-creator,
The Human Face of Big Data
Harvard Business Review recently named the data scientist—described as a high-ranking professional with the training and curiosity to make discoveries in the world of Big Data—as "the sexiest job of the 21st century." Librarians and information professionals have always worked with data in order to meet the information needs of their constituents, thus "Big Data" is not a new concept for them though it is spawning new approaches along with a language all its own.
In The Accidental Data Scientist, Amy Affelt shows information professionals how to leverage their skills and training to master emerging tools, techniques, and vocabulary; create mission-critical Big Data research deliverables; and discover rewarding new career opportunities by embracing their inner Data Scientist.
"Part librarian manifesto, part how-to guide, The Accidental Data Scientist makes the convincing case that librarians have been playing many critical roles expected of the modern and much-hyped data scientist, emphasizing the often undervalued importance of data verification and data integrity"
—Dr. Cathy O'Neil, Director, The Lede Program,
Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism;
data scientist; author, and daily blogger at mathbabe.org
"Eminently inspiring, interesting, and useful ... essential reading for all librarians and especially for those seeking to better understand the world of Big Data, those looking for data analysis and service competencies for librarians and other information professionals, and those looking for a long view of the intersections of Big Data and information science in general."
—Kathryn J. Deiss, Content Strategist, Association of
College & Research Libraries, American Library Association
2015 | 240 pp/softbound | ISBN 978-1-57387-511-0
Ebook Editions are available.
