Whither Library Data: The Withering of Research Information about Public Libraries in the <scp>US</scp>

ABSTRACT The field of information science has deep roots in library science, and the two are often discussed as one discipline (i.e., library and information science). In addition, library‐centric research has often been included in the Annual Meetings of ASIS&amp;T. Nonetheless, research centered in and around libraries frequently faces many challenges in our discipline—including a sense of disrespect or under‐appreciation for work in and around libraries and library workers. This panel focuses on the challenges of finding, collecting, and analyzing library‐centered data. We discuss these hurdles to push for a more productive research landscape around library science. Five panelists will descript their work and the obstacles they have encountered. The panel will include an open discussion with the audience, focusing on how we as a research community might alleviate these challenges.