Digital Humanities Week Sept. 21–25
The University of Maine Humanities Center will host several free and public events as part of the third biennial Digital Humanities Week, Sept. 21–25.
Events throughout the week aim to showcase groundbreaking digital work and bring faculty, students and the surrounding community together to discuss the world of the digital humanities, according to UMaine history professor Liam Riordan who directs the UMaine Humanities Center.
“We will all benefit from more frequent and more meaningful discussions outside our individual silos especially as technological possibilities are fluid and fast changing,” he says.
In advance of the week, a kickoff event was held Tuesday, Sept. 15. Members of the public were invited to take part in a small-group discussion led by UMaine history professor Anne Kelly Knowles.
The talk was held at 4 p.m. in the Bumps Room of the Memorial Union. Participants were asked to read in advance the short essay “What is spatial history?” by Richard White. They also might enjoy viewing the Ted Talk by Knowles on reimaging the Civil War battle of Gettysburg.
Related to the discussion, Knowles will deliver the lecture, “Telling the Spatial Story of the Holocaust: Finding Humanity in Social Science,” at 3:15 p.m. Monday, Sept. 21 in the Fernald APPE Space, 104 Stewart Commons, IMRC. The lecture is part of the UMaine History Department’s fall 2015 Symposium Series.
Also on Monday, Ben Ray, a professor of religious studies at the University of Virginia, will speak about “Mapping the Salem Witch Trials: How Satan Went Viral in Salem” at 12:10 p.m. in 211 Little Hall.
Other presentations throughout the week include “Merging Modalities: Creating the New Bedford Whaling Museum’s Online Scrimshaw Exhibit” by Tess L’Heureaux, a UMaine Ph.D. candidate in history; “Coactive Systems: Biologically Inspired Art & Science Hybrids,” by Gene Felice, an assistant professor of intermedia and new media at UMaine; “Exploring the Power of Inquiry with ArcGIS Online: A Hands-On Workshop,” by Margaret Chernosky of the Maine Geographic Alliance; “Broadcasting in its Infancy in Maine: A Sound Engineer in the Archives,” by Barry Darling, an independent audio recordist; and “Using Advanced Real-time Game Technology to Tell Important Stories,” by Chuck Carter of Eagre Games in Orono.
Representatives from the Mount Desert Island Historical Society, Bangor Historical Society and Bangor Daily News will deliver presentations on student internships and the digital humanities at 12:10 p.m. Friday, Sept. 25 in the Bumps Room of the Memorial Union. A tour of the Career Center will follow the panel discussion at 1:10 p.m. Lunch will be sponsored by the Division of Student Life.
The week closes with an informal get-together at the Black Bear Brewery, 19 Mill Street in Orono, starting at 5 p.m. Friday, Sept. 25.
“As our means of communication and understanding have been transformed by a host of new digital technologies, the study of the human experience and expression has greater potential reach than ever,” Riordan says. “But the kinds of ‘big data’ that digitization produces can sometimes be overwhelming. As a result, we need to combine new analytical skills with traditional ones to make sure that we make the best use of the digital revolution to advance our quality of life.”
Events are organized by the UMaine Humanities Center and co-sponsored with the Division of Student Life, Fogler Library, the departments of history and new media, and the Intermedia MFA Program. A complete schedule including times and locations is online.
For more information or to request a disability accommodation, contact Riordan at 581.1913 or riordan@umit.maine.edu.
Several essays in the recent humanities-themed issue of Maine Policy Review explore different facets of the digital humanities and are available as free downloads on Fogler Library’s digital commons website.
Contact: Elyse Kahl, 207.581.3747