This email is an invitation to participate in the DLF Assessment Interest Group’s (DLF AIG) working group on Cultural Assessment in 2023. 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

The charge of the Cultural Assessment Working Group is to raise awareness of cultural bias and strive for diversity, equity and inclusivity 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 Inclusive Metadata Task Force is making progress on an Inclusive Metadata Toolkit.
Meeting monthly, we have alternated meetings with working sessions for the Inclusive Metadata Toolkit and sessions of sharing, reading, and discussion of topics related to cultural competency and digital library interventions.
Learn more about what we do on our Cultural Assessment Working Group wiki page.

Cultural Assessment Working Group Goals for 2023

Join us at our March CAWG All Hands meeting to set 2023 goals for CAWG.
The Inclusive Metadata Task Force is continuing work on the Inclusive Metadata Toolkit.

How can you participate?

Sign up for the Cultural Assessment Working Group Google Group indicating your interests and drop in on any of our meetings. You may also email the co-facilitators indicating your interest. Any CAWG participant can post resources to or start discussions on the Google Group – so feel free to share.
Our next CAWG All Hands meeting will be March 13th at 12 pm Central (-5 UTC). We hope to greet new members and share what the task forces have been doing and their goals for 2023, as well as set goals for CAWG as a whole.
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 speakers for the a speaker series!
If you are interested in taking on a leadership role, there are opportunities in working group and task force co-facilitating.

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

For questions about the Cultural Assessment Working Group, please contact the CAWG co-facilitators, Hannah Skates-Kettler [log in to unmask] and Jenny Bradshaw [log in to unmask].