Librarian pack

This folder gives academic librarians and library staff everything needed to catalog, promote, and teach with the ALT/FNDATA dataset. It is written for library audiences rather than students or instructors, and it complements the course materials in 02_Course_Modules without duplicating them.

What is in this pack

  1. Catalog_Positioning.md - how to list ALT/FNDATA in a database catalog or A-Z database list: suggested record fields, subject headings, discipline coverage, short and long descriptions, and comparison framing against familiar financial and market databases.
  2. LibGuide_Draft.md - ready-to-paste content for a LibGuide page, covering an overview, self-registration steps, what is in the data, how to search, example research questions by discipline, export and citation guidance, and where to get help.
  3. Data_Literacy_Session_Plan.md - a 60 to 90 minute, librarian-led data-literacy workshop plan for patrons and students, built around a hands-on sandbox exercise and a segment on evaluating data coverage and provenance.
  4. Access_and_Licensing_FAQ.md - a question-and-answer reference covering who can register, how access works at each tier, what can be exported, acceptable use, and how to reach the team for anything beyond self-service.

How the access model works, in one paragraph

Most patrons and students never need a key. They self-register for the no-code sandbox at sandbox.altfndata.com with a work or school email address and are approved automatically, gaining an in-browser SQL editor, sample datasets, a coverage browser, and CSV and JSON export. Librarians and instructors who want a shared class or library key for deeper API access can request one directly from the ALT/FNDATA team; keys are issued manually rather than through self-service signup.

Who should use this pack

Reference and instruction librarians building a database guide or teaching a data-literacy session, collection development staff evaluating the dataset for the catalog, and library systems staff fielding registration or access questions from faculty and students.

Getting help

For anything not covered in this pack, contact info@altfndata.com.