Digital Curation and Cultural Heritage
Instructors:
Carol Chiodo
Duration: one week
The large-scale digitization of cultural heritage, emerging forms of born-digital collections and archives, and the new ways in which researchers across disciplines engage with these materials are challenging traditional theories and practices in cultural heritage. They also present new opportunities for practitioners and researchers working with digitized collections and archival materials by expanding the means of discovery, engagement, and stewardship. These opportunities include the application of computational tools and methods, integrating computational analysis with traditional cultural heritage curation methods. This workshop will introduce digital curation as it pertains to the cultural heritage sector, understood as the selection, acquisition, preservation, maintenance, and delivery of digital data derived from objects held by libraries and museums. We will examine the intersection of emerging computational and analytical methods and technologies with museum collections, rare books and archival holdings while weighing the advantages and disadvantages for historical, social, scientific, and cultural research engagement with these materials. The course will provide an overview of best practices for the management and stewardship of these born-digital and digitized holdings in libraries and museums and we will also explore recent applications of digital curation to cultural heritage, including generative AI, geospatial analysis, audiovisual curation, collections as data, and more. The workshop is suitable for those new to the field, such as graduate students and early career scholars, as well as experienced practitioners interested in gaining new perspectives on computational curation in cultural heritage.