UB to take part in Love Data Week

The UB community is invited to take part in Love Data Week Feb. 9-13 — an international celebration of data that takes place every year during the week of Valentine’s Day.

The weeklong event is spearheaded by a partnership between the University Libraries and Institutional Analysis, guided by a Love Data Week steering committee led by Jordan Knutsen, assistant for institutional research.

“Data is really the bedrock of our modern technology and economy today,” Knutsen says. “Data skills are absolutely crucial for students of all disciplines to be comfortable with and know how to incorporate in their personal and professional lives. That’s why Love Data Week is so important. This event reminds everyone that data is everywhere, and enables them to find a topic, workshop or technical skill share that they can benefit from.”

This year’s international Love Data Week theme is “Where’s the Data?” The focus is intended to prompt people to consider the data’s journey from collection through storage and preservation. 

Sessions on Feb. 9-12, held virtually, will be led by UB expert researchers, librarians and professional staff, and will cover a variety of topics via workshops, presentations and technical skill shares. Visit the website for the full schedule.

The week will conclude with an in-person event from 10:30 a.m. to noon on Feb. 13 in 145 Student Union. It will feature keynote addresses from Craig Abbey, vice provost for institutional analysis and planning; Jake Carlson, associate university librarian for research, collections and outreach; and A. Scott Weber, provost and executive vice president for academic affairs. There will also be a showcase of undergraduate and graduate student research presentations. Those interested in attending should register in advance, as seating is limited.

Love Data Week was established in the U.S. in 2016, quickly growing into an international event that includes a wide range of institutions, organizers, scholars, students and data lovers from around the globe. The aim is to celebrate data in all its forms, promote good research data management strategies, share data successes and failures, and ask hard questions about the role of data in our lives.

This is UB’s second year hosting Love Data Week events. Jocelyn Swick-Jemison, data services librarian, brought the initiative to UB in 2025 to help promote the Research Data Services Department within UB Libraries.

“Last year was a small, online-only event that focused on creating data management and sharing plans, and research data management best practices,” Swick-Jemison says. “We also wanted to tap into the international network of Love Data Week events led by the University of Michigan. I’m excited to be collaborating with the Office of Institutional Analysis this year to make UB’s Love Data Week bigger and better.”