Thoughts on My DLF Forum 2012 Fellowship

I had a fantastic time as a Forum Fellow at the Digital Library Federation Forum 2012, and am very grateful to DLF for the opportunity.   I was also fortunate to be assigned a mentor: Jenn Riley, the head of the Carolina Digital Library and Archives at the University of North Carolina. Jenn was wonderful about answering all of my questions, from digital preservation, how digital archives work, to how UNC is thinking about digital publishing and scholarly communication in conjunction with their University Press.

One of the best parts of the Forum, for me, was hearing how librarians in more “traditional” roles (i.e. subject specialists, reference, public service) were transitioning into digital librarians and digital humanists while still in their role as a librarian. Several panelists discussed this in “The Landscape of Digital Humanities Librarianship.” Angela Courtney of Indiana University Libraries was one example–she liaised with her library’s digital library staff and the university’s English department to create the Victorian Women Writers Project.  I also liked hearing how the panelists are utilizing their MSI or MLIS students for these projects!  What I enjoyed most of all, though, was the enthusiasm and current of energy that ran through all of the sessions and keynotes; I brought it all back with me as I returned to my classes at UMSI with renewed energy and focus.

Thanks again to CLIR, DLF, and the DLF Program Planning Committee! I’m looking forward to Austin in 2013.