Dear Colleagues,

Re: Invitation to Participate in Focus Groups on Evaluating Digital Archives

We are writing to ask for your participation in a study that seeks to
assist archival institutions in developing criteria to evaluate digital
archives (defined as the content and services that archival repositories
provide to users via the Internet). In the first step of the study, we
analyzed some 32 user-based evaluation tools and identified the
information archivists have considered important when seeking feedback
from their users. In the next step, we want to talk to archivists, as
well as to users of digital archives, to see if this information is what
is needed to ensure that digital archives meet the needs of current and
potential users.

Accordingly, we are seeking archivists to participate in a focus group
to be held in Toronto on Thursday, April 7th from 930 to noon. The focus
group will consist of 5-8 archivists. You will discuss what you need to
know about the users and their uses of your digital archives, and how
you would use such information to evaluate digital archives. After a
break, focus group members will discuss the best way(s) of getting
feedback from digital archives users and the resources required for
collection and analysis of user data. The entire session will take
between two and two and a half hours, including a 15-minute break with
refreshments.

Your participation in this study is very important. While archival
repositories have regularly sought feedback from their on-site users,
reaching their digital archives users in order to evaluate their digital
archives in relation to user needs is a different matter. The
information you provide will help us to develop generic user-based
evaluation tools to provide archival repositories with user feedback on
their digital archives, and guidelines to assist archival repositories
in developing digital archives that meet user needs.  Participation in
this study is completely voluntary.  All data will be kept confidential.
The session audio recordings will be destroyed when the data has been
transcribed and verified.

Please reply as soon as possible, by contacting Project Assistant Jean
Dryden at 416-978-8851 or [log in to unmask]  Should you have any
questions or concerns, please feel free to contact Dr. Wendy Duff,
Faculty of Information Studies, University of Toronto at 416-978-3152 or
[log in to unmask]

Sincerely,


Wendy Duff, Principal Investigator
Joan Cherry, Co-investigator
Jean Dryden, Project Assistant
Enhancing Access to Heritage Through Digital Archives Project