[OAI-implementers] Digital Cultural Content Forum meeting

[John Perkins]

The digital Cultural Content Forum (CCF), an international gathering of
key stakeholders in the digitisation and delivery of our global cultural
assets, invites you to express interest in attending our next meeting,
an executive retreat in the north of Italy over the weekend 28-30 March
2003. It will follow the well-known EVA Florence Conference
[http://www.vasari.co.uk/eva/florence/], which may include a wider
discussion session on some of the issues being addressed by the CCF for
those who are not able to attend the weekend event.

Previous meetings have been held in London and in Washington, D.C., and
have attracted representatives from North America, Europe, Asia, New
Zealand and Australia.

This third meeting will again be by invitation only, and will be limited
to no more than 30 participants. The primary scope of discussions will
be around explorations of audience for digitised cultural content, and
this discussion will be informed by a piece of background research
recently commissioned by the CCF, and by presentations and other
material contributed by participants.

It is intended that the meeting will result in a far better
understanding of existing research into what audiences need from and
expect of our cultural institutions in the online environment, and also
that the group can agree a plan of action for progressing activity in
this increasingly topical area.

Those interested in attending are requested to submit their expression
of interest to

         ccf-info@culturalcontentforum.org

NO LATER THAN Friday 17 January 2003.

Expressions of interest should detail any work your organisation has
already undertaken in assessing the needs of online audiences, as well
as specific issues that you hope might be addressed over the weekend.
Those who are able to contribute content to the commissioned background
research, and to provide relevant input for fellow participants in
advance of the meeting are especially welcomed.

Successful applicants will be notified by the end of January, 2003, and
we currently hope to be in a position to meet the costs of accommodation
over the weekend.

We look forward to hearing from you,

David Dawson, Resource
Paul Miller, UKOLN
John Perkins, CIMI