An air curtain canister for creating an air curtain includes a housing having a form factor approximating an exterior of a data storage drive. The air curtain canister also includes a fan for creating an airflow in the housing and a nozzle for directing the airflow exiting the housing in a predefined trajectory for creating an air curtain. A data storage library includes an array of drive slots each configured to receive a data storage drive therein. The data storage library also includes a plurality of air curtain canisters positioned laterally in the array of drive slots for creating an air curtain across a front of the remaining drive slots in the array. A method includes selectively instructing air curtain canisters in a data storage library to create an air curtain across a front of an array of drive slots in the data storage library.