It’ll be all right on the night: DCU Library in the Digital Humanities

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?

Crank up the Twitter machine @drha2015 #drha2015

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?