This email is an invitation to participate in the DLF Assessment Interest Group's (DLF AIG) working group Cultural Assessment (more details here<https://wiki.diglib.org/Assessment:Cultural_Assessment>) in 2020. There is more information about the group below, but first, a few words about participating in DLF AIG.


The only requirement for participation in a DLF AIG working group is a willingness to dig in and devote a small part of your time contributing to the tools, methods, and body of knowledge on digital library assessment. Attendance at the DLF forum is not a requirement for participation in any of the working groups. Additionally, if your institution is not a DLF member, you can still participate.


Cultural Assessment in 2020

In order to meet the overall goals of the Cultural Assessment working group to raise awareness of cultural bias and strive for diversity, equity and inclusivity [1]<http://dspace.mit.edu/handle/1721.1/108771> in digital collection practice the group

  *   Has established a series of initiatives over the last few years to address multiple workflows that culminate in a digital collection including
     *   Selection Practices
     *   Metadata and Description
     *   Community Integration
     *   Listing of professional development opportunities related to cultural assessment in digital librarianship
  *   Published a public and running Annotated Bibliography<https://docs.google.com/document/d/1keFxpCj-w2sBGsB5Uqymm4KbEE8ReeMpHiXUivzl8gQ/edit?usp=sharing> to support the CAWG work which has influenced several other projects focused on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in librarianship
  *   Detail on both past work and the goals for this year are available on the group wiki<https://wiki.diglib.org/Assessment:Cultural_Assessment>.


Cultural Assessment Goals for 2020 (a list of all deliverables/goals can be found on our 2020 Project Scope document linked below)

  *   Develop regular virtual professional development opportunities related to cultural assessment for 2020
  *   Explore digitization selection and copyright concerns and the impact of implicit/explicit collection bias and the compounding nature of digitization
  *   Develop a whitepaper about the Selection Workflow Framework outlining findings from our two surveys regarding selection practices at various institutions
  *   Evaluate Metadata and Description practices by conducting an environmental scan of inclusive metadata creation practice
  *   These outcomes are not set in stone, and we welcome input and new points of view!


How can you participate?

  *   There are several roles we would like to fill as part of this years' work including Participant, Lead Implementor and Group Facilitator for the various CAWG Task Forces<https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Phzz6pB2Zk39-OWkrxCCPWoHSIuFufM6bE121Hl9QKo/edit?usp=sharing>.
  *   New voices and perspectives are always welcome and you need not have been involved in the projects in the past to participate. Onboarding for new members is a welcome part of the process.
  *   The Cultural Assessment group meets monthly, whereas the Task Forces may meet once or twice outside of the monthly meetings depending on workload and timelines. These meetings are determined by the Task Force members.
  *   One may typically expect to spend about 1 hour per week on CAWG related work.
  *   How can you sign up? Review and add you name to the 2020 Project Scope<https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Phzz6pB2Zk39-OWkrxCCPWoHSIuFufM6bE121Hl9QKo/edit?usp=sharing>. You may be a member of one or all Task Forces depending on your interest. Additionally, we have a group listserv to which you may subscribe where we post meeting announcements and minutes, as well as interesting professional development opportunities, discussion and request feedback from task force members. Join our Google group<https://groups.google.com/forum/#!forum/dlf-cultural-assessment-working-group/join> with this link.


For questions about the larger DLF Assessment Interest Group, contact the DLF AIG co-leaders, Sara Rubinow [log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]> and Santi Thompson [log in to unmask]


Thank you for participating in the DLF AIG!

Gratefully,
Hannah Scates Kettler, on behalf of the DLF Cultural Assessment Working Group


Hannah Scates Kettler (she, her, hers)
Head, Digital Scholarship & Initiatives

Iowa State Parks Library
701 Morrill Rd, Ames, IA 50011-2102
tel.: 515-294-8590

                 .'*.*'.==.            .==.'*.*'.
                 '*/X@*'  (            )  '*@X\*'
                  //X@    '.          .'    @X\\
                  "X@      \          /      @X"
             ____xX@        '        '        @Xx____
            (            ____)      (____            )
            '....------._____|      |_____.------....'
           (( . )       (( . )     (( . )        (( . )
            ``-'         ``-'       ``-'          ``-'