Listed below, are several links on different projects being conducted within the field of "digital humanities". These articles were featured in the New York Times from a series on "how digital tools are changing scholarship in history, literature and the arts". As institutions are now establishing methods of collecting and presenting archives to the public, they must evaluate viewer interpretation. Most of these materials are being presented as digital images through online repositories and interactive websites. This raises the question: Does this format provides an accurate representation of the actual items?
Digital reproductions, when available online, make collection materials more accessible to the public. While this is definitely beneficial, it should be noted that tangible experiences are still essential to the viewer's response. As a museum worker, I believe it would be unfortunate if the public resorted to viewing collections exclusively online. I do support the use of digitization, but it should also entice people to conduct observations in person.
While many digital archives allow viewers to observe rare items, some also provide opportunities for individual responses. Many institutions are now by-passing scholarly input by asking the public to offer their own analysis. By presenting documents online, many museums and colleges are engaging people in the practice of transcribing historical documents. Even though this is a public process, some scholars worry that many individuals will not be adept at 'decoding" all of the text. There is also concern that viewers might miss the conceptual significance of this material. According to Bevis, " the fear is that statistical measures could overshadow the meaning and interpretation". While this may be true, it is important to note that these projects are being presented as endeavors based on subjective readings. Therefore, the purpose revolves around open participation, which allows anyone to take on the role of a historian.
1) http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/17/arts/17digital.html
2) http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/11/17/from-ancient-rome-to-a-valley-in-virginia-more-digital-humanities-projects/
3) http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/04/books/04victorian.html
4) http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/28/books/28transcribe.html?ref=patriciacohen
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