ANZAMEMS Member News: Pippa Salonius – PATS (2015) Report

Pippa Salonius, Independent Scholar

Thoughts on the ANZAMEMS PATS @ University of Canterbury, November 2015
ANZAMEMS: Postgraduate Advanced Training Seminar ‘Medieval and Early Modern Digital Humanities’ Report

I recently had the pleasure of attending the ANZAMEMS postgraduate training seminar hosted by the University of Canterbury in Christchurch on 18 November 2015. The day was devoted to learning about digital humanities. Two keynote speakers, Professor Evelyn Tribble (University of Otago) and Professor Patricia Fumerton (University of California, Santa Barbara) presented work in their fields of English culture and literature, considering two key academic databases: EEBO (Early English Books Online) and EBBA (English Broadside Ballad Archive). Tribble discussed EEBO in terms of affordance and materiality, drawing attention to how the database can facilitate academic research, but also pointing out its weaknesses. As an art historian, I especially appreciated her highlighting the fact that viewing an object on a screen results in a flattened distortion of its image. In response to this problem, companies such as Factum Arte use digital technology to produce three-dimensional facsimiles of our cultural heritage (see their digitalisation of the earliest known Beato de Liébana manuscript at the Biblioteca Nacional in Madrid http://www.factum-arte.com/pag/46/Digitalisation-of-Beato-Emilianense-BNVIT14-1). Unfortunately, costs are high and as of yet few websites are able to provide their viewers with these types of images.

Tribble’s argument was nicely complemented by Fumerton’s description of the English Broadside Ballads Archive (EBBA). As the driving force behind this on-going digital project, Fumerton was able to give a clear description of the current database and its potential as a working tool, as well as providing insight into on-going questions of its future and development. I found the multimedia aspect of EBBA fascinating. The inclusion of images, text, and sound within a single database and the possibility of search queries in all medium was inspirational and sophisticated stuff! I have since spent many stolen moments exploring the database, moving between ballads, examining their images, and listening to vocal performances of their lyrics. Fumerton’s information has greatly expanded my own understanding of the digital platform, forcing me to reconsider the didactic value of its technology, and its capacity to promote interdisciplinary research. The papers concluded with a lively discussion on the controversial nature of open-access and funding of online digital humanities research tools, with particular reference to ProQuest’s recent revocation of EEBO subscriptions to learned societies due to a downturn in revenues.

In the afternoon workshop, Dr James Smithies (University of Canterbury) presented us with an exemplary model of a formal proposal for a digital humanities project, the ‘Digital Project Scope Document’. His practical approach was encouraging as he attempted to demystify the expectations of its content and layout held by university administrative and funding bodies, as well as external non-academic partners. Drawing on his experience in the Digital Humanities program at the University of Canterbury, Smithies was enthusiastic and convincing in his insistence on the fundamental importance of digital humanities as an integral working tool for current and future academics. His session opened the floor nicely to the critique of postgraduates who presented their own digital projects. These projects ranged from the planning stages to actual websites, and included proposals for interactive web resources tracing political dissent in medieval London, a website for open source translation of medieval European texts, and a comprehensive database mapping Byzantine and medieval art in New Zealand collections. The seminar closed with a panel comprised of Joanna Condon (Macmillan Brown Library), Dr Chris Jones (University of Canterbury), Dr James Smithies (University of Canterbury), and chaired by Anton Angelo (University of Canterbury), who highlighted various points raised during the day of discussion, confronting them with issues of change and context in the world of digital humanities.

As befits the topic, a video recording of the seminar has been posted on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hYb2GDxvIpk&feature=youtu.be. Many thanks to Dr Tracy Adams (University of Auckland) and Dr Francis Yapp (University of Canterbury) whose respective roles as compere and organiser assured that the day progressed seamlessly and successfully. Finally, it is always a pleasure for me to be among fellow enthusiasts of medieval and early modern times, whose ideas challenge my own and whose energy is contagious. Thank you.