This email is an invitation to participate in the DLF Assessment Interest Group's (DLF AIG) working group on Cultural Assessment <https://wiki.diglib.org/Assessment:Cultural_Assessment> in 2022. 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 Working Group in 2022

  *   The charge of the Cultural Assessment Working Group is 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 to create more inclusive cultures and to mitigate or expose collection bias. Where such practice is lacking, create new frameworks that uphold CAWG values.
  *   The Cultural Assessment Working Group has four task forces: Outreach, Selection, Digitization Selection, and Inclusive Metadata.
  *   In 2021,
     *   First in a series of hosted speakers<https://www.diglib.org/aigs-cultural-assessment-working-group-presents-towards-building-equitable-language-technologies/>, Su Linn Blogett of the Microsoft FATE Group discussed her work evaluating the social harms of language technologies and;
     *   Work began on the Inclusive Metadata Toolkit to develop guidance for inclusive metadata practice.
  *   Learn more about what we do on our Cultural Assessment Working Group<https://wiki.diglib.org/Assessment:Cultural_Assessment> wiki page.

Cultural Assessment Working Group Goals for 2022

  *   The Inclusive Metadata Task Force (IMTF) is working on creating a toolkit for assessing and promoting inclusive metadata for digital collections. The IMTF alternates toolkit working meetings with meetings during which we read and discuss relevant literature.
  *   The Outreach Task Force will identify the next invited speaker and coordinate the speaker line-up for 2022.
  *   CAWG members will collectively discuss and plan for the implementation of a cohesive toolkit and build out the Rubric of Reflection (a.k.a. CAWG toolkit for identifying/addressing harms in digital collection creation).

How can you participate?

  *   Sign up for the CAWG Google Group<https://groups.google.com/forum/#!forum/dlf-cultural-assessment-working-group/join> indicating your interests and drop in on any of our open meetings (details via Google Calendar<https://calendar.google.com/calendar/u/0?cid=ZGQxMDN0ZDZwOHJpaGpicnF2dm10YW9lZDhAZ3JvdXAuY2FsZW5kYXIuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbQ>). You may also email the co-facilitators indicating your interest. Our first meeting of the year will be.....
     *   Anyone can post resources to the Google Group - so feel free to share.
  *   If you're interested in supporting the group and would love to try out event planning and/or marketing in a low-stakes environment, think about joining the Outreach Task Force to help identify and coordinate the speaker for the series!
  *   Our first CAWG All Hands meeting of the year will be March 31st at 1pm Central (-5 UTC). We hope to greet new members and share what the task forces have been doing and their goals for 2022, as well as set goals for CAWG as a whole.
  *   You can participate in any and all of the task forces. Check the Google Calendar<https://calendar.google.com/calendar/u/0?cid=ZGQxMDN0ZDZwOHJpaGpicnF2dm10YW9lZDhAZ3JvdXAuY2FsZW5kYXIuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbQ> for meeting times.



CAWG Co-Facilitators: Hannah Scates Kettler [log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]> and Jenny Bradshaw [log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]>

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



Thank you for participating in the DLF AIG!

CAWG co-facilitators,

Hannah Scates Kettler and Jenny Bradshaw


Hannah Scates Kettler (she, her, hers)
Co-Convener, Cultural Assessment Working Group (CAWG)
[cid:[log in to unmask]]