Keynotes, Special Sessions, and Workshops

Digitizing Dress Collections for Discoverability, Searchability, Diversity, and Inclusivity

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Abstract

This paper reviews research studies prioritizing the shared goals of discoverability, searchability, diversity, and inclusivity. These projects contributed to creating digital products through synergistic research and advanced digital product creation by developing best practices around metadata and website builds and included: (1) Investigating the search processes of users accessing public websites of historic dress collections to increase retrieval effectiveness of collection websites; (2) Using Natural Language Processing (NLP, a form of artificial intelligence) and crowdsourcing metadata to identify potential terms that could be added to Costume Core to establish nomenclature standards adapted for web searchability and expand the Costume Core metadata schema; (3) Employing the post-custodial approach to transform privately-owned Syrian diaspora garments into an accessible archive via a socially dynamic collaboration between the family and museum professionals on database development regarding provenance and terminology for inclusive descriptions and bringing digital museum practice to under-funded private collections.

Keywords: Digitization, Dress collections, Discoverability, Diversity, Inclusivity, Searchability

How to Cite:

Sklar, M., Smith-Glaviana, D., Sauro, C. & McIntyre, K. H., (2024) “Digitizing Dress Collections for Discoverability, Searchability, Diversity, and Inclusivity”, International Textile and Apparel Association Annual Conference Proceedings 80(1). doi: https://doi.org/10.31274/itaa.17494