Abstract
In North America, academic libraries’ data services have recently emerged as a new field during a very interesting time when academic libraries are adjusting themselves to be able to deal with more digital material and at the same time trying to be further involved in the academic research process. The academic world is also undergoing a transformation into a new paradigm of doing research called e-science, which is characterized by data-intensive and networked research. Managing and curating the ever-increasing amount of data seems to be a natural extension of the established function of libraries. However, if we look at the broader landscape of e-science and all the supporting systems that are under development accordingly, we will see more than one model of data services provided by different institutions, or by different combinations of institutions. This paper will summarize these two major e-science support models, both in North America and in Europe. For both data services planners and practitioners, we need more contextual learning about the academic world and the emergence of the e-science paradigm, and a more visionary view of libraries among all the services departments/agencies around us so that we all can better design our academic library services and continue to promote and develop it.