Forging Resilience and Building Capacity: Professional Development in Early-Career Research Data Services

As research and information landscapes evolve, shaped through the intentional incorporation of data services and emerging technologies like artificial intelligence (AI), academic libraries are being asked to expand service capacities, develop new literacies, and respond to complexity with integrity and equity. This commentary draws on two contributions to the 2025 Research Data Access and Preservation (RDAP) Summit: a poster exploring how professional development supports early-career growth in research data services, and a presentation on navigating AI’s ethical tensions through a library-centered literacy framework (Research Data Access & Preservation Association [RDAP], 2025). Grounded in my experience as a new data services librarian without a formal background in library and information science (LIS), I reflect on how professional development has not only accelerated my learning but also shaped my approach to service design, provided access to critical resources, and helped build a much-needed professional network. These opportunities have strengthened my resilience in a field where roles, technologies, and expectations continue to shift. This commentary also considers the realities of institutional resource constraints and the value of inclusive, collaborative spaces that make professional growth possible. For librarians navigating emerging areas like data services or AI literacy, particularly those early in their careers or entering from adjacent fields, it offers insight into how we can meet uncertainty not with expertise alone, but with connection, collaboration, and care.