**Apologies for
Cross-Posting**
Subject: Call for participation in the
Cultural Assessment Working Group (CAWG), part of DLF Assessment Interest Group
This email is an invitation to participate in
the DLF Assessment Interest Group’s (DLF AIG) Cultural
Assessment Working Group in 2021. 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 2021
- The
charge of the Cultural Assessment Working Group is to raise awareness of
cultural bias and strive for diversity, equity and inclusivity [1] 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 2020,
- Digitization Selection Task Force
articulated questions and scenarios related to digitization, defining
digitization within contexts.
- Inclusive Metadata Task Force
read and discussed outputs produced by other groups (for example,
Metadata Benchmarks Survey White Paper Draft, Selection Framework Draft,
Cataloging Code of Ethics Draft, Change the Subject documentary, harmful
language statements, and more) to inform our creation of a list of
questions and eventual toolkit.
- Learn more about what we do on our Cultural Assessment Working Group
wiki page.
Cultural Assessment Working Group Goals
for 2021
- The
Selection Task Force seeks a greater understanding of the practices and
policies that organizations use to build community archives or libraries,
especially with regards to how materials are selected.
- Outreach Task
Force is a newer group that seeks to make CAWG outcomes more visible to
the DLF Community and provide professional development opportunities
relating to EDI and Digital Collections.
- Building
on the Selection Task Forces’ work, the Digitization Selection Task Force
will focus on selection practices for digitization. The group will
identify the unique challenges impacting EDI related to digitization
selection, and develop a way to mitigate or address those issues.
- The Inclusive
Metadata Task Force discusses readings each month and collects questions
that come up in our own work to inform our creation of a publicly-shared
Toolkit document that will support folks who want to promote inclusive
metadata practices.
- Develop
collaborations with AIG groups and task forces
How can you participate?
- Sign
up for the CAWG Google Group indicating
your interests and drop in on any of our open meetings (details via Google Calendar).
You may also email the co-facilitators indicating your interest.
- 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!
- Our first CAWG
All Hands meeting of the year will be Monday, February 8 at 1 EST/12
CST/11 MST/10 PST. We hope to greet new members and share what the task
forces have been doing and their goals for 2021.
- In March, we plan
to have a group viewing and discussion of the DLF Forum 2020 keynote address
by Stacey Patton. Stay tuned for the date and time.
- You can
participate in any and all of the task forces. Check the Google Calendar for meeting times.
CAWG Co-Facilitators: Hannah Scates Kettler [log in to unmask] and Jenny Bradshaw [log in to unmask]
For questions about the larger DLF Assessment
Interest Group, contact the DLF AIG co-leaders, Sara Rubinow [log in to unmask] and Santi Thompson [log in to unmask].
Thank you for participating in the DLF AIG!
