DLF Born-Digital Access Working Group
About
The DLF Born-Digital Access Working Group, formed in 2017, produces research on and advances the practice of providing access to born-digital collections. Current activities center on researching born-digital access practices, determining levels of access for born-digital materials, and hosting archivist bootcamps to share ideas and tools for providing access to born-digital materials.
While our primary focus is currently on participatory archival research & development, we are intentionally situated under the Digital Library Federation to connect across disciplinary silos. We welcome any librarians or other types of workers who are concerned with providing access to born-digital data of any age into our community and projects.
Goals/Objectives
- Create a community of practice and engagement around issues related to born-digital access
Leadership
- Tori Maches, co-coordinator (2023)
- Nicole Scalessa, co-coordinator (2023)
- Steven Gentry, Visioning Access Systems subgroup lead
Subcommittees
Current:
- Visioning Access Systems: this subgroup developed, maintains, and enhances a community-influenced framework that supports information professionals who work with born-digital archival materials by guiding them as they design, select, or implement tools, platforms, and systems that facilitate access to born-digital content. It also pursues related topics and projects, such as the intersection of access to born-digital content and artificial intelligence.
Steven Gentry, subgroup lead, gentrysteven0208@gmail.com
Resources: Visioning Access Systems
Recent Past:
- Born-Digital Description in Finding Aids: this subgroup explored how description of born digital archival materials is actually being implemented in finding aids to facilitate access. With input from many contributors, the group compiled a corpus of categorized examples of description as a resource for practitioners.
Brenna Edwards, co-lead
Lara Friedman-Shedlov, co-lead
Born-Digital Description in Finding Aids (2022-03-03)
- Legal Due Diligence: This subgroup formed in 2020 in response to discussions held at the 2019 DLF Forum around the risk assessment required to provide access to born-digital collections, especially archival ones.
Jess Farrell, co-lead
Kate Dundon, co-lead
Legal and Ethical Considerations for Born-Digital Access (2022-06-17)
Get Involved
Meetings
DLF BDAWG meets bi-monthly on the first Tuesday – Check group communications for subgroup meetings or the DLF Community Calendar for the most up-to-date schedule
