What are the Digital Humanities?
Digital Humanities (also referred to as Digital Scholarship) encompasses any humanistic inquiry facilitated by digital technologies. Digital humanists use tools for mapping, data visualization, text analysis, online exhibits, digital collections, storytelling, and more to interpret, analyze, and present research across all disciplines to a broad audience. Digital Humanities work is characterized by collaborative approaches, public engagement, openness, and transparency. We value process and experimentation as well as scholarly outcomes.
Why do Digital Humanities?
Digital Humanities is more than mashing up digital tools and traditional research, it is a field in of itself with its own values and techniques. While research papers, articles, and books are vital to the scholarly conversation, Digital Humanities projects can reach beyond traditional audiences for scholarly work.
By engaging with the larger DH community of practice, we gain insight into how scholars work across disciplines, institutions and other boundaries. Students and faculty who work with DH get the opportunity to share their work widely, discover new ways to present their research, and gain confidence working with technology. By partnering with librarians and IT, faculty and students also get the chance to collaborate with colleagues in new ways.
For examples, or to get inspired, check out current and past digital projects completed by students and faculty.
How We Can Help
In our liberal arts college context, we focus on undergraduate research. Musselman Library offers:
- Direct support for student researchers, including a high-impact summer learning experience, including the Fortenbaugh Digital Humanities Fellowship and Digital Scholarship Summer Fellowship
- Collaborative pedagogical support for faculty, including assignment design and instruction of Digital Humanities tools and methods. These activities are coordinated with campus partners, including Educational Technology and the Johnson Center for Creative Teaching and Learning
Consultations
Digital Initiatives Librarian R.C. Miessler (rmiessle@gettysburg.edu) can be scheduled for consultations and digital project help.
Schedule a Consultation with R.C. Miessler
Peer Classroom Support
Musselman Library hires Digital Scholarship Fellows (DSFs) during the academic year. The DSFs are able to provide technical support for digital tools and escalate as needed.
Digital Scholarship Fellows Fall 2023 Office Hours
Office hours are available when classes are in session.
- Tuesdays and Thursdays, 9am-11am and 3pm-5pm
- Fridays, 1:30pm-5pm
Schedule an Appointment with a DSF
If you need help outside these hours, email library_ds_fellows@gettysburg.edu to make arrangements.
The Fall 2023 DSFs are
- Theary Heang '24
- Shukirti Khadka '24
The DH Toolkit
The DH Toolkit is a work-in-progress that is designed to provide information about common Digital Humanities tools, as well as support for issues related to digital projects such as copyright.
JCCTL Digital Literacy Grant
The Johnson Center for Creative Teaching and Learning offers a Digital Literacy Assignment Grant to faculty interested in incorporating digital literacy skills into their courses.