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In the last few years the issue of curation of research data has become a topic of enhanced interest in scientific communities. But there is no clear understanding of how to deal with curation of research data. Regarding the situation in Germany, there was no clear picture of the methods that different academic disciplines use to preserve and curate their research data. Even more there was no clear understanding and consensus which role libraries could or should play in this issue. A baseline study was conducted in cooperation with nestor and the D-Grid GmbH in Germany. The study gives more stable data to scientists, service infrastructure experts and politicians to foster strategic concepts for digital curation and preservation in and between the disciplines. The survey addressed eleven disciplines including the humanities, social sciences, psycholinguistics, pedagogics, classical studies, geoscience, climate research, biodiversity, particle physics, astronomy and medicine. Results can be seen as more or less representative for the situation in Germany. Findings show that libraries and data centers are involved but there is no clear result on the role libraries should or will play in the field. Libraries which are in close connection to scientists have an advantage in being addressed as institutions responsible for digital curation and preservation. Librarian’s competences regarding research data still have to be proofed. Nevertheless individual scientists and research data centers might need librarian´s expertise regarding the application of metadata standards and the provision of services in connection with the research data curated by institutions. Qualification and training regarding curation of research data is still at its beginning and should be addressed by programs of universities.
In recent years, access to and curation of research data have become a topic of discussion in national and international think tanks and advisory groups. There are various concepts and suggestions to stimulate and improve competences in dealing with research data. In addition, semantic web technologies and Linked Open Data are raising the awareness for access to data and environments in which data can be processed, retrieved, reused and preserved. Competences in dealing with these challenges will extend the scope of work and the tasks not only of researchers but of librarians as well. In the context of a survey on digital preservation of research data in Germany, research data-related tasks have been identified and consequences for the scope of library activities and qualification needs of librarians have been suggested. Competences in collecting, describing, and processing domain-related data in connection with other activities in digital curation of research data gain in importance. LIS (Library and Information Science) curricula should cover these extended qualification needs.