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Brian Foo edited this page May 16, 2024 · 23 revisions

LC Labs JFP24 wiki

Important links

(Note: for most of these links, you will need to access via Citrix)

Project details

Project background

As part of the Computing Cultural Heritage In the Cloud (CCHC) project, LC Labs and staff collaborators developed "data packages" as a way to make it easier for the public to access and engage with Library data for computational use. We define a data package as a publishing format that combines normalized metadata, metadata enrichments, media files, standardized documentation, narrative context, code samples, and other usability features.

Currently we have data packages for a wide array of formats and collections, largely informed by what collections and materials are in high demand by the public as informed by Library staff.

Project goals

  1. Create one or more visualization or web interface that helps the public understand and use Library data
  2. Engage with new audiences or engage with existing audiences in new ways
  3. Experiment with one or more emerging technology or technical approach that can inform LC Labs work going forward

Project tasks

  1. (Week 1-2) Identify a data package that resonates with the team to focus on this summer.
    • Consider what interests/excites you
    • Consider what would benefit the public if this data was made more available/accessible/useable
    • Consider the challenges/possibilities with working with this data
  2. (Week 1-2) Define one or more audiences that would benefit from this data package.
    • Be specific (geography, community of practice, age, prior research experience, comfort with technology)
    • Consider what audiences the Library currently has and doesn't have
    • Consider novel uses of this data
  3. (Week 3-4) Perform light user research into the defined audience to understand how they might use the data package, and what challenges/barriers they may face when trying to access/use the data package
    • Ask Library staff if they have encountered these users
    • Reach out to these users
    • Find existing work or research by or about these users
    • We will have an event/workshop on June 20th where we will invite 12 outside experts to use our data
  4. (Week 5-8) Design and develop one or more visualization or web interface they helps the defined audience understand, access, and use the data package
    • Should use an emerging technology or approach
    • Perform comparative analyses of potential technologies/approaches used
  5. (Week 1-9) Produce documentation throughout the process, detailing the team's technical, creative, and content decisions
  6. (Week 9) Present the process and outcomes of this project on Display Day

Note that there will also be general LC Labs support tasks that we will ask you to do throughout the internship. This will account for about 10-20% of your time

Project deliverables

  1. One or more publicly available visualization or web interface hosted on Github Pages
  2. Code (scripts, Notebooks, source code) and detailed documentation hosted on Github
  3. A presentation for Display Day (one presentation per team member)

Note there are a number of deliverables for the Junior Fellows Program that you will need to complete throughout the internship. Refer to the deadlines (in purple) on the Program Calendar

Project timeline

See Timeline

Project team and roles

  • Brian Foo, Senior Innovation Technologist and project mentor
    • Provide day-to-day guidance and support for internship projects and will be the main point of contact for interns
    • Facilitate meetings with Library staff and external partners
    • Provide technical, design, and development support for project, including support for all tasks relating to data processing, coding, and deploying web interfaces or visualizations to the public
    • Will act as the project manager, articulating project goals and tasks and ensuring that we are on track for successful completion
    • Provide ongoing feedback to interns’ work and ensure the work aligns with individual goals
  • Josh Hadro, Program Analyst and back-up project mentor
    • Act as project mentor in Brian’s absence
    • Attend certain key project meetings to ensure she is kept in the loop of project developments
    • Provide ongoing feedback at certain points in the project when there is progress to share
  • Laurie Allen, LC Labs Chief and project supervisor
    • Perform administrative approvals such as timesheets
    • Coordinate administrative matters such as onboarding and offboarding
    • Provide ongoing feedback and guidance at certain points in the project when there is progress to share
  • Ilayda Dogan, Shauna-Kay Harrison, Aisaiah Pellecer, LC Labs Junior Fellows
    • Attend meetings related to AHHA and LC Labs activities
    • Perform user research to inform our work
    • Experiment with, assess, and utilize emerging technologies and approaches, e.g. machine learning, computer vision, data visualization
    • Develop sketches, mock-ups, and prototypes of visualizations and/or experimental web interfaces
    • Create and give a presentation to Library staff about the project process, outcomes, lessons learned, and recommendations for future work
    • Provide general support for LC Labs activities
  • Jaime Mears, Abby Potter, Kimber Thomas, Senior Innovation Specialists and project advisors
    • Provide ongoing feedback and guidance at certain points in the project when there is progress to share

Team schedule and meetings

  • Our team typically works 8 hours a day, 40 hours a week
  • Our team begins the day around 8-9am EST and ends around 4-5pm EST
  • You are expected to work 80 hours every two weeks (which is a pay period)
    • We have some flexibility within these two weeks, e.g. you can work more one week and less another
    • You are eligible to earn sick leave (4 hours per pay period) after the first pay period
    • You do not earn annual leave, but you can earn "Credit Hours", which are voluntary hours of work beyond the normal workday or workweek. After credit hours are accrued, they can be used for paid time off.
  • Our project team (project mentor + 3 Junior Fellows) will have a daily check-in (time TBD) to capture any updates, challenges, tasks for the day
  • The LC Labs team meets twice a week on Mondays (9:30am EST) and Thursdays (3:30pm EST)
  • We will schedule additional working meetings as needed
  • We encourage you to meet amongst yourselves too!
  • The Junior Fellows Program has a number of events/meetings throughout the 10 weeks.
    • There are typically events every Tuesday and Friday at 1pm EST
    • There are "Project Pods" throughout the internship where you will be able to share/hear about Junior Fellow project updates.
    • Refer to the Program Calendar for more details

Working and communicating

  • We will use Github as our primary tool of collaboration
  • We will use VS Code for writing code. We will use the following exensions:
    • Black Formatter for consistent formatting of our Python files
    • Jupyter for support with creating Jupyter Notebooks
    • ESLint for validating Javascript
    • Pylint for validating Python
  • We will use Slack as our primary form of day-to-day communication
    • Alternative tools?
  • We will use Zoom for meetings. You can use Zoom outside of Citrix if you have connectivity issues.
  • We will use email (Outlook) for admininstrative communication, outreach, and scheduling meetings. I will email both your personal and loc.gov for scheduling and administrative stuff. However, please periodically check your loc.gov email for official communications from JFP and the Library.

Library resources

LC Staff resources

For these, you will need to access inside of Citrix

LC Public resources

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