it’ll be all right on the night: dcu library in the digital humanities
TRANSCRIPT
Image Source: https://www.nyfa.edu/student-resources/stage-fright-examples-lessons-famous-sufferers/
It’ll be all right on the night: DCU Library in the Digital Humanities
Smashing Stereotypes
Librarians Get LoudLAI Academic & Special Libraries Conference |11-12 February 2016
Siobhán Dunne | @dunnesiobhan
Overview:
What is DRHA ?
Why librarians?
Peer review + programming
The design challenges
The tech challenges
Props, permits, & working men’s clubs
Would we do it again?
So what exactly is DRHA?
academic conferencedigital art exhibitionfestival of performances
.
A Unique mix of:
T H I S P R I N C I P L E L A Y S T H E F O U N D A T I O N F O RT H R E E K E Y S T R AT E G I C O B J E C T I V E S :
June 2014: DCU wins competitive bid to host DRHA 2015
August 2014: DCU announced as 2015 hosts at Uni of Greenwich
September 2014: local organising committee established
June 2014: DCU wins competitive bidding process to host DRHA 2015
August 2014: DCU announced as host for DRHA 2015 at University of Greenwich
September 2014:Local organising committee established
Core Conference Team
Convenors: Chris Pressler | Siobhán Dunne | Peter Dudley
Creative Advisor: Dr. Declan Tuite, Multimedia Lecturer, DCU
Logistics Support: Keynote PLC
Peer Review Panel: DRHA Standing Committee
Main Stage Technician: Damian O Connor
Installations Technician: AVCOM
Web Design: Sean Tackaberry, Multimedia Student, DCU
Delegates from: Australia, Canada, Estonia, Georgia, Germany, Hong Kong, Ireland, Japan, Poland, Singapore, Sweden, the United Kingdom and United States.
1st DRHA conference for 75% of delegates.
16% are students
78% are presenting new research and/or creative works.
56% hail from outside of Ireland
Source: https://gencodegenes.files.wordpress.com/2012/01/numbers.jpg
Competitive application process to recruit a DCU multimedia student to help us build our website.
Requirements: Many delegates very design savvy so had to be high spec. And had to house legacy content.
http://www.drha2015.ie
How did we attract a diverse international audience?
The Unknowns
Predicting delegate numbers to inform conference fee structure was complex and challenging
Artists can find it difficult to secure funding (some assumed we would fund)
Substantial outlays required for tech equipment + support
Massive variation in attendance for previous years
Were we promoting to the right people?
Locations
Academic Papers: Library
Keynotes + performances: Venue
Installations: The Old Bar
Call for Submissions
Speakers invited to respond to 5 grand challenges:
Resolving Conflict | Cultural Freedom Urban Living | Climate Change Healthy Societies
Peer Review
Shared by DRHA standing Committee and convenors
Ongoing debate between arts and humanities content
To turn this….
The Tech Challenge
Into this…
To turn this….
Into this…
Shared Set up - switch
To turn this….
The Design Challenge
Into this…
Unanticipated Challenges
• Rig construction to support an installation
• Public Liability insurance and permit to work applications
• Adequate lighting for installation gallery
CuratorsPeer reviewersTechniciansInterpretersDesignersPromotersImprovisers
Librarians
Irish librarians in Digital Humanities
Ways of Working• Worked unusual hours to avoid losing ‘flow’ • Challenging to combine everyday structured
tasks with creative process
Building Skills• Fun to collaborate on something a bit different• Significant opportunity for team building
Gaining Perspective• Provided perspective for dealing with other
‘outside the box’ tasks
Reflections
L I B R A R I A N S G E T T I N G L O U D
N O T A C O N F E R E N C EF O R L I B R A R I A N S ?
P E E R R E V I E W F A C I L I T A T I N G T E C H N I C A L R E Q U I R E M E N T S
L I A I S I N G W I T H A R T I S T S
C U R A T I N G A NA R T E X H I B I T I O N
EDITING CONFERENCE
PROCEEDINGSBOOK
Thank You
Questions?