Telling your data stories

A few journalists have asked about our efforts in the past few days. They often ask why data rescue matters and why the public should care about US federal data and its loss. While librarians can undoubtedly answer that question--preserving access is at the heart of our profession--we know that the impact of data loss is more significant than our specific concerns. Several people have reached out to describe the effect data loss would have on their work or on their lives. We recognize the human element of this loss. Real people will feel real impacts.

We want to show the human impact in our work, so we've created a form where you can share your stories. We are looking for short descriptions of how public data is essential to your work and what the loss would mean for you. We have a form to collect responses. If you choose to remain anonymous, that is fine. If you would prefer to share your own story in your own way, though, we encourage you to do so. Please let us know about that, and we will amplify it.

Data rescue may seem like a nerdy or niche topic (and sure, we can get into some weeds about data management). But it is an issue that will have a real widespread impact on our communities and our lives. We need to make sure others understand those implications.