A Commodore in the Library? Retro Tech as Digital Scholarship “Special Collections”
Start Date
8-10-2017 8:30 AM
End Date
8-10-2017 10:00 AM
Description
Digital scholarship generates such excitement, that the physical equipment used to produce it is often taken for granted. Insofar as this neglect signals lowered barriers to computer access it is a positive development. However, as media scholars have argued, material circumstances shape cultural production, and computation is no exception. Unless an understanding of earlier technologies is preserved, students and researchers will lose an important part of the story that their data can tell. “A Commodore in the Library?” explores how academic libraries might provide retro-tech as a service akin to rare books – granting access to older technology in a controlled environment for patrons who need “the real thing.” Early experiences at Notre Dame suggest how even a minimum investment in older media and hardware can yield exciting cross-departmental collaboration. This panel projects an interconnected future by looking squarely to the past.
Type
Presentation
Session
#s4b: Hardware/Software and other Forms of Scholarship, moderator Emily Sherwood
Language
eng
Location
Elaine Langone Center, Center Room
A Commodore in the Library? Retro Tech as Digital Scholarship “Special Collections”
Elaine Langone Center, Center Room
Digital scholarship generates such excitement, that the physical equipment used to produce it is often taken for granted. Insofar as this neglect signals lowered barriers to computer access it is a positive development. However, as media scholars have argued, material circumstances shape cultural production, and computation is no exception. Unless an understanding of earlier technologies is preserved, students and researchers will lose an important part of the story that their data can tell. “A Commodore in the Library?” explores how academic libraries might provide retro-tech as a service akin to rare books – granting access to older technology in a controlled environment for patrons who need “the real thing.” Early experiences at Notre Dame suggest how even a minimum investment in older media and hardware can yield exciting cross-departmental collaboration. This panel projects an interconnected future by looking squarely to the past.