Justin De la Cruz

The Network of the National Library of Medicine's National Center for Data Services (NCDS) provides training and resources to increase data science capacity among information professionals, in alignment with the NLM's strategic plan. As Associate Director for NCDS, I coordinate the development of NNLM classes, webinars, and other educational offerings and resources, including developing educational content and teaching classes. I work on educational content around research data management and data science for a national audience of health sciences information professionals. NCDS offerings fall into three broad categories: Beginner training opportunities for health information professionals looking to get started with data services; Development opportunities for data services professionals to get specialized training and support; and Resources related to working in data services, including guides and instructional materials.

I also manage the annual data internship where NCDS places current library studies graduate students with institutions working on projects involving data. Across 10 weeks, interns receive training on data ethics, data management, research methods, coding, publishing, searching for jobs, and other topics about working in data services. Simultaneously they work with their host sites to develop an original research project based on the data available to them. Following the internship, NCDS provides funding to each intern to attend a professional conference and present on their work. 

As Assistant Curator for the NYU Health Sciences Library, I research, publish, and present on NCDS educational activities as a way to address current challenges in data services and to improve educational and professional development activities in this area. I research how librarians learn to provide library data services and how they acquire coding skills and come to understand concepts in emerging technologies. I also work with the NYU Health Sciences Library to help improve services and provide education to the NYU Langone community.