How can LIS graduates have greater involvement in Digital Humanities?

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How can LIS graduates have greater involvement in Digital Humanities?

(5 posts) (4 voices)

Asked 4 years ago by Weepsie
Latest answer from Patrick Murray-John

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Weepsie
Member
Hi, this is my first question, so apologies if I miss the point a bit (I'm not sure which category suits best). Anyway I'm currently studying for a an MLIS, having nearly done an MA in Digital Humanities. My intention is to do a PhD in Digital Humanities (well so long as my application is successful). My background is in fact history, but I am hoping my LIS skills will become as important, and can help tie my humanities background to this field in someway.

I may be wrong, but from what I see there is a slight disconnect between the two fields, one that I hope to help bridge, but I'm not entirely sure how. I've been told librarians have been involved in digital humanities, but no-one has really explained how beyond some traditional work. Can anyone point me to, or highlight how LIS/Librarians have been involved in this field?

Again, sorry for the long winded post.

Peter , Ireland
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Posted 4 years ago Permalink
Arno Bosse
Member

Ben Showers posted a nice article about this recently which takes a fair shot at providing some obvious areas of overlap and convergence: http://infteam.jiscinvolve.org/wp/2012/02/23/does-the-library-have-a-role-to-play-in-the-digital-humanities/

My personal sense is that while there are several libraries housing innovative, interesting programs engaging (and actively helping to define) the digital humanities (e.g. the Scholar's Lab at UVA; the NYPL) there are also academic & research libraries that are either flailing (e.g. don't really know how to engage with their departments, students & faculty on DH projects) or are just, well, simply wrong about the strategic approach they are taking. The national, institutional and personel contexts (i.e. convictions of the senior staff) are so varied that it's very hard to draw a general picture. I'd hate to have to generalize. And on top of all that both areas are experiencing rapid change due to various internal and external pressures.

Perhaps the best way to answer the question is in fact exactly as you proposed - to seek out & highlight for yourself a wide variety of DH projects which you feel are interesting, innovative and meaningful and which you'd like to be involved as well some day, and then look carefully at who was involved and why. Then use this as a guide to chart the course of your own studies and work experience.

Posted 4 years ago Permalink
Weepsie
Member

Replying to @Arno Bosse's post:

Thanks for the response, and for the article link too. My personal feeling overall is, that it will take someone, or a collection of people to see the void and attempt to bridge the gap in a meaningful way.

I know I'm not alone in the LIS world in being interested in entering DH anyway, but it's still a relatively small number who are, and in my experience mostly new graduates.

Posted 4 years ago Permalink
Micah Vandegrift
Member

Peter - this topic comes up frequently at THATCamps, and is one that I've been asking now for a while also. My two cents? LIS grads (librarians) need to step up to the plate and become "digital humanists" by doing things that DHers do; write prolifically, build things, have good ideas and implement them, apply for and win grants, and most importantly find ways to connect scholarship to technology. I agree with Arno that there are some great things being done in some libraries, but on the whole, we haven't yet made a clear case that we want to be involved, have the skills (scholars chops as well as technical) to contribute to a project, and that the library is supportive of this sort of work.

I proposed this as a session at THATCamp Southeast a few weeks ago too. My session proposal is here - http://southeast2012.thatcamp.org/03/08/alt-lis/

Lets work together to become the "collection of people to see the void and attempt to bridge the gap"!!

Micah Vandegrift
Scholarly Communications Librarian
Florida State University

Posted 4 years ago Permalink
Patrick Murray-John

Peter,

Yep, I see the same funny divide (in particular at ALA, where Micah and I also talked about this a bit!). But one place that there was good overlap was at the LITA sessions, so getting involved there would be a good place to get the bridges happening. IMLS also funds a lot of DH work, so keeping an eye on projects and events they are connected with will also help to get the right people together in the right rooms, virtual or physical.

Posted 4 years ago Permalink

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