Reshaping the future of academic library: Service model for holistic research data support

The increasingly data-intensive nature of modern research, particularly with the proliferation of artificial intelligence (AI), presents both a challenge and an opportunity for academic libraries. To address the evolving needs of the research community, we conducted a quantitative survey at the University of Hong Kong to identify gaps in existing data support services. Our findings indicate a significant demand for hands-on, technical assistance in data analysis, visualization, and cleaning, areas where researchers currently rely heavily on self-taught skills and peers. A substantial portion of the community is also actively engaged in AI-related projects, underscoring a need for advanced, specialized support. In response, this paper proposes a new service model, the “Data Clinic,” designed to function as a one-stop hub for both advisory and technical data support. By empowering librarians with advanced skills and fostering a collaborative, data-first mindset, this model aims to transform the library into a proactive partner in the research process, thereby enhancing research capabilities and affirming its indispensable role in the data-driven future. • Current library services are inadequate to support the data needs for researchers. • Proposed data clinic model to support wide-range of data services. • Librarians should be empowered to be data-savvy in order to accelerate research. • Librarians are essential proactive contributors to research teams. • Libraries as a hub that support data, information and knowledge needs for researchers.