Groups

Organization and origins

The LD4 Community grew out of a series of projects funded by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation (LD4L, LD4L-Labs, LD4P, LD4P2, LD4P3) intended to spark the adoption of linked data among libraries. Recognizing the need for widespread community engagement, the leaders of these grant projects envisioned creating the LD4 Community as a lightweight, participatory forum for linked data practitioners to foster broad adoption and sustained support of linked data efforts in libraries.  

There is currently no formal membership in the LD4 Community--it is a community of practice. 

There is currently no fee for participating in the LD4 Community. 

The LD4 Community aims to be lightweight and largely self-organizing and therefore has few permanent structures. The organization consists of a Steering Committee, Conference Organizing Committee, Code of Conduct Committee, and a series of self-defined Affinity Groups uniting interest in discrete topics. The Steering Committee may establish task or working groups as needed. Committees, Affinity, and Working Groups must submit a report on activities annually to the Steering Committee and are subject to having their charter renewed. 

Steering Committee

The Steering Committee administers LD4 Community communication channels, guides LD4 Community development, and delegates responsibilities to chartered committees and other groups. The Steering Committee is self-governing, and determines its own by-laws. The Steering Committee page has more details on its charge, bylaws, and members. 

The founding six members of the Steering Committee are the LD4P project’s principal investigators, whose vision laid the groundwork for the LD4 Community. Members in the group of nine serve three-year terms, with three new members elected each year.  

Conference Organizing Committee

The Conference Organizing Committee is formed each year by the Steering Committee to organize and execute the annual, open LD4 Conference, which is one of the major forums and activities for the community. 

Code of Conduct Committee

The Code of Conduct Committee supports and maintains healthy community participation based on the LD4 Code of Conduct. It periodically updates the Community Participation Guidelines and responds to incidents as needed. 

Affinity Groups

The Affinity Groups serve as interest and/or working groups, and are self-organizing based on community interest and activity. They have chairs, objectives, and are open and transparent. Affinity groups are open to all, regardless of institutional or organizational affiliation.