“From Digital Humanities to Digital Libraries: Comparisons”

Dot Porter, Associate Director for Digital Library Content and Services, IU Libraries

Dot Porter will present a journey through her career, from digital humanities to digital libraries, exploring the similarities, differences, and relationships between the two fields. Ms. Porter holds an MA in Medieval Studies and an MS in Library Science. After receiving her Masters in Library Science, she took a position in a digital humanities center working with humanities scholars to undertake faculty-driven digital projects. These projects often involved working closely with librarians, computer scientists, and other scholars. Ms. Porter will reflect on the collaborative relationships fostered by interdisciplinary digital projects and the roles different scholars have to play within them.  In June 2010, Ms. Porter came to work in the Digital Library Program at IU. She will discuss the challenges posed by transitioning between the fields of digital humanities and digital libraries. Although the technologies used in Digital Libraries are very similar to those in Digital Humanities, the aims and goals can be quite different, and working between the two can be an interesting, educational, and engaging experience.