Description

International Love Data Week is marked annually the week of Valentines Day. It is sponsored by the Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research (ICPSR). 

VCU is a member of ICPSR, which provides access to datasets for secondary use across a range of health, political and social issues. This membership supports student and faculty research, and evaluation needs as well as skills for data-driven decision making.
More about Love Data Week.

The 2026 Love Data Week theme is “Where’s the Data?” to get people thinking about data’s journey from collection through storage and preservation.

For Love Data Week, VCU Libraries will offer several learning opportunities.  Register for all of these events online. 

Ribbon Cutting Event

Date: Monday, Feb. 9, 3 - 3:45 p.m.
Location: Data Visualization Wall, Lower Level, Cabell Library 
Register Online

Join us at the opening of the VCU Libraries Data Visualization Wall, a new space dedicated to data visualization and the intersection of data, art, and communication. Join Dean Irene Herold and the data visualization project team to celebrate how the VCU community can explore, share, and interact with data together. Light refreshments will be served.

Research Communication Series

Data, Design, and Dissemination: a research communications workshop series
Feb. 10 - 12, 2026

Research communication has never been more important. As professional and general audiences get information from an increasingly diverse set of sources, researchers can take advantage of the multimedia world we live in to ensure their research is reaching those who need it most. This VCU Libraries workshop series will prepare you to communicate your research effectively through visual communication and make thoughtful decisions about ways to reach your audience.

Part 1: Data (Nina Exner)
Date: Tuesday, Feb. 10, noon - 12:45 p.m.
Location: Zoom  
Register Online

Learn the simple principles of data visualization that help you present effective charts and graphs so your audience can better understand your quantitative information. We will cover ways you can draw viewer attention to the point you want to make, choices you can make to declutter your visualization, discuss tool options, and more.

Part 2: Design (Oscar Keyes) 
Date: Wednesday, Feb. 11, noon - 12:45 p.m.
Location: Zoom
Register Online

Participants will learn how to create their own figures through design principles and accessibility guidelines in this interactive workshop. We will demonstrate a few different tools and leave time for participants to create their own simple figures.

Part 3: Dissemination (Katharine Miller)
Date: Thursday, Feb. 12, noon – 12:45 p.m.
Location:  Zoom
Register Online

Participants will learn about the art of disseminating research to maximize its impact within their disciplines and beyond. We will cover where and how to share your research in order to meaningfully connect with the right audiences and demonstrate your impact as a researcher.

Coffee & Data Chat 

Date: Friday, Feb. 13, 9:30 - 11 a.m.
Location: Data Visualization Wall, Lower Level, Cabell Library 
Register Online

Come join our first Coffee & Data, a casual drop-in coffee hour for meeting other data fans. VCU community members who love data and data visualization can connect over a warm cup of coffee in the new Cabell Data Visualization Wall area. The event creates a relaxed space for discussing data projects, challenges, and trends. Whether you're a beginner or an expert, Coffee and Data invites everyone to spark new ideas and build a vibrant VCU data visualization community.

VCU Libraries supports data-focused education and data discovery through partnerships among the Research Data Department, the Workshop, subject specialist librarians and faculty. VCU Libraries data team also helps researchers throughout the VCU community to love their data with data management and ethical data sharing.