Conversations on Digital Humanities: Teaching, Research, and Support

Primary Presenter: Thea Lindquist

Co-Presenter: Elaine Paul

Organization: University of Colorado Boulder

Role: Chair of University of Libraries’ Digital Humanities Task Force

Track: Discussion

Topic: Digital Texts

Level: For Mere Mortals

Abstract: This session offers an opportunity for participants to discuss how Digital Humanities (DH) are incorporated into teaching and research at their institutions and what types of support are needed to facilitate pedagogical and research goals. The discussion will be contextualized by a brief introduction to the work of the CU Libraries’ Digital Humanities Task Force, which involved researching DH models and surveying faculty and graduate students on the Boulder campus about their support needs.

Bio: Thea Lindquist is History and Germanic Studies Librarian at CU Boulder and coordinator of the University Libraries’ Digital Humanities Task Force. Currently she is working with computer scientists on WWI LOD, a project demonstrating how Linked Data can make online primary sources more accessible to users. Elaine Paul is the Director of Visual Resources for Art and Art History at CU Boulder. A digital librarian with an MS in Library and Information Science, she helps faculty and students find, create, and use visual media. Her facility’s multimedia collection is part of the CU Digital Library. 

Description: DH work is taking place on most campuses in isolated pockets of activity, driven by individual interest and supported largely by localized departmental resources. Yet, there is a strong desire for more of a DH community and a recognition that we could all accomplish more if centralized, broadly-accessible resources and support were available. The CU-Boulder Libraries’ DH Task Force is undertaking a study to determine how best to foster the DH community on our campus, and to recommend support models to facilitate this important new development in humanities teaching and research. The DHTF will begin the discussion by reporting preliminary findings from their investigations and then open the floor for debate and discussion.

The discussion will center around questions such as:

What are the most effective ways to bring Digital Humanities into the classroom?

What are the barriers to incorporating DH into teaching and research? And how can these barriers be removed?

How are other institutions supporting DH? What are some of the models?

Several members of the DHTF will be present to facilitate the flow of discussion.

Presenter Presentation Materials URL: http://bit.ly/Digital-Humanities