Transforming: Collections, Discovery and Access

The Best Solution for the Time: Ethics and Options when Including Gender Information in Open Knowledge Platforms

Sunday, June 26, 2022

1:00pm – 2:00pm

Location: Washington Convention Center, 158A-B

Ethics in cataloging and metadata has been a recent topic of interest as our profession strives to become more equitable, diverse, and inclusive. Large open knowledge projects such as Wikipedia, Wikidata, and SNAC provide opportunities for GLAM (Galleries, Libraries, Archives, or Museums) workers to contribute to global initiatives. In May of 2021 researchers at San Diego State University and MIT Libraries conducted a survey to collect data to identify policies or practices about gender information that staff at GLAM institutions are following as part of their open knowledge work. In this session, we will present our findings based on this research.

If you work at a GLAM institution and are contributing to an open knowledge project you will leave this session with a better understanding of the ethical considerations of including gender information in your work. Attendees will learn about best practices and common policies institutions are using to guide their work and how policies are created and developed within Wikidata.

Learning Objectives:

Identify the ethical issues surrounding practices of including gender information in open knowledge projects.
Apply their knowledge of ethical considerations to their work on open knowledge projects and other cataloging and metadata work.
Create better informed policies and practices when including gender information as part of their open knowledge work.

Main Contact(s)

Nerissa Lindsey

Head of Content Organization and Management
San Diego State University

Speaker(s)

Nerissa Lindsey

Head of Content Organization and Management
San Diego State University

Main Contact(s)

Greta Suiter

Manuscripts Archivist
Ohio University

Speaker(s)

Greta Suiter

Manuscripts Archivist
Ohio University

Main Contact(s)

KH

Kurt Hanselman

Catalog Librarian
San Diego State University

Speaker(s)

KH

Kurt Hanselman

Catalog Librarian
San Diego State University

Moderator(s)

KH

Kurt Hanselman

Catalog Librarian
San Diego State University