In order to further diversify representation of perspectives at the Always Already Computational: Library Collections as Data national forum, the project team is issuing a call for nominations / self-nominations for individuals to attend and contribute to the meeting. Individuals at all levels of experience are highly encouraged to apply. Travel, lodging, and subsistence costs for selected national forum attendees will be covered by grant funds.
With support from the Institute of Museum and Library Services, Always Already Computational: Library Collections as Data will foster a strategic approach to developing, describing, providing access to, and encouraging reuse of library collections that support computationally-driven research and teaching in areas including but not limited to Digital Humanities, Public History, Digital History, data driven Journalism, Digital Social Science, and Digital Art History. In the first stage, a national forum will bring together an expert group of librarians, archivists, museum professionals, researchers and practitioners, and technologists for 2.5 days at the University of California Santa Barbara from February 28 - March 3, 2017.
During the national forum, participants will work to draft a framework that will (1) articulate computationally amenable library collection use cases and (2) initiate a collection of best practices that support developing, describing, and providing access to computationally amenable library collections. Participants will also help develop a dynamic feedback structure that enables a wide range of communities, outside of the forum, to shape and play a primary role in the production of final project outputs. Review of the grant narrative provides a more granular description of anticipated work during the forum.
Following the national forum, the project team will iteratively refine and extend forum outputs via 6 disciplinary and professional conferences, virtual events, and this project website. At the end of the 18 month grant period, the project will produce a library collections as data framework, use cases and user stories, functional requirements for technical solutions that support library collections as data, methods for making these types of collections more discoverable, and a summative white paper.
Given calendars filling for Spring 2017, please submit nominations/self-nominations by Sunday, 11/13/2016 [extended].
Thomas Padilla (University of California Santa Barbara)
Laurie Allen (University of Pennsylvania)
Stewart Varner (University of Pennsylvania)
Sarah Potvin (Texas A&M University)
Elizabeth Russey Roke (Emory University)
Hannah Frost (Stanford University)