Who Cares About FAIR Data? Libraries in the Ecosystem of FAIRification

As science increasingly embraces the Open Science paradigm, attention is shifting from open access to the implementation of the FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable) principles for research data. Within this evolving landscape, libraries are expected to play a key role in supporting FAIRification and sustainable research data management. This study maps the scholarly landscape of FAIR data through a bibliometric analysis of 2790 journal articles and conference papers published between 2000 and 2025 and indexed in Scopus, using the Bibliometrix R package (version 5.5.0). The findings reveal a rapidly expanding research field, with Europe emerging as the leading contributor, largely driven by European Union Open Science policies. Thematic analysis identifies metadata, interoperability, data management, and Open Science as central research directions, while the bibliometric visibility of library-related FAIR research remains comparatively limited. The study highlights the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration and the development of new competencies to strengthen the role of libraries within the FAIR data ecosystem.