This course treats the scholarly, theoretical, institutional, and practical issues involved in the digitization of our various and shared cultural heritage—an activity we will consider at many levels of scale (from “boutique” editorial projects to efforts in mass digitization) and across many types of objects and collections (from literary and historical documents to scientific specimens, art objects, and material culture).

It is not, however, a training program in specific tools, standards, or workflows. Instead, we will consider what is at stake, both locally and systemically, for large institutions and for individual scholars or librarians who create, deliver, and use digital surrogates. We will divide our attention between close examination of physical texts and objects from the UVA Library, RBS, and cultural heritage institutions in Washington, DC on the one hand, and broadly-accessible digital libraries, archives, and data collections on the other. Students will consider topics like markup and metadata, user experience, accessibility and universal design, visualization and analysis, interoperability and linked data, aesthetics and sensory perception, and digital stewardship both from a conceptual standpoint and with specific examples brought to bear. Our attention will also be directed toward larger pragmatic concerns, including: inclusive, community ownership and engagement; the creation of institutional partnerships; the role of digitization in times of conflict, war, and environmental stress; and the sustainability of digital projects.

Students are asked to come with a specific digitization project or case study in mind, which they can use in workshops and design exercises throughout the week. Also central to the course will be visits and conversations with practicing curators, librarians, scholars, and digital stewards—drawing on people and projects connected with the University of Virginia (Book Traces, the Scholars’ Lab, NINES, UVA Library Digitization Services, and RBS) and with the Digital Library Federation and its partners and collaborators among library organizations and major cultural heritage institutions in Washington, DC. A one-day field trip to DC is planned, with transportation provided by RBS.

We welcome participation by anyone who would like to explore the implications of cultural heritage digitization and the stewardship of “born-analog” information from an academic and institutional perspective. Our goals are to help course participants advance their own, specific projects; become better informed about the impact of digitization on inquiry across the disciplines; and explore the broader roles they and their institutions might play in mitigating the risks and maximizing the social and scholarly benefits of digitization.

All readings for the course will be available online. Several exercises require that students be ready to describe, workshop, re-imagine, and present on a collection, library or museums interface, or scholarly digitization project with which they are familiar—preferably one in which they are currently or soon to be engaged. Prospective students should therefore offer brief descriptions of their proposed case studies when applying for the course.

N.B., The tuition for this course is $1,495 owing to the expenses associated with the scheduled field trip.