Doing it right

Backseat drivers and grocery shoppers are advised to remember to “Do it right!” For obvious reasons this approach keeps order this side of the Atlantic.

But “doing it right” was also the underlying message of the symposium on New Directions in Digital Humanities Scholarship. The papers presented at this gathering briefly touched on issues of IP, access, standards and preservation, before exploring the importance of users as central to digital initiatives to co-produce and co-design projects. Collaboration and partnerships were big words on the day and seen as important ingredients for developing successful projects. Speakers shared their thoughts and narratives on various digitizing projects. Take a look:

Silk Road Atlas

The Roots of Modern America

The Differences Slavery Made

Lincoln Digitization Project

Map of Early Modern London

Cartography of American Colonization Database

As is the nature of these gatherings, many questions were asked. Of interest was the question of whether mass digitization meets the needs of the Humanities researcher? I had never really considered this and had assumed that Google Books is a great resource for all.

Insights into digitization activity as “providing a playpen for data” revealed the complexities of digital visualization and the representation of historical events by combining GIS, text, sound and photos. Capturing the narrative of history rather than creating a database; and moving beyond archival representation to interpretation were some of the considerations. Through the use of examples from funded projects and student’s work, these were clearly showcased; some were impressive and it was difficult to be critical.

It seems too that the public libraries in Urbana Champaign are “doing it right”. A recent news item reported the popularity of these venues and the high usage of both libraries. This was partly attributed to the economic downturn and how the libraries were viewed as a source of free entertainment. Certainly many people regard these libraries with pride. A visit to the Champaign library proved just how user-focused the services of this library are. In addition, the refurbishment of the library building created a so called ‘green building’ which exhibits many fashionable eco-friendly features.

It seems that it is well not to make too many left turns in future, if we want to “do it right”.