Kelda Habing and Lian Ruan (University of Illinois Fire Service Institute) have published a qualitative study on digital humanities practices from seven US academic libraries to provide insights into how varied academic libraries operate their DH programs, in Digital Transformation and Society. Using semi-structured interviews, they highlight practices around space, technology, staffing, instruction, and collaboration. Their article contributes to the growing corpora of literature and studies addressing trends and approaches in academic libraries for offering DH services and support. From the abstract:
Purpose
Digital Humanities is a robust area of research and practice at universities and their libraries across the world. This case study investigates the unique DH practices of seven US academic libraries to provide insights into how varied academic libraries operate their DH programs.Design/methodology/approach
Semi-structured interviews with nine library staff in DH or DH-adjacent positions at seven US academic libraries were used to investigate library DH practices.Findings
This case study highlighted key areas of academic library DH practices including Space, Technology, Staff, Instruction and Collaboration. Practices in these areas were compared against each other and literature to comment on the current state of DH library practices and offer some recommendations for select areas.Research limitations/implications
This case study interviewed staff in a limited number of US libraries and is not generalizable to or a reflection of the many academic libraries in the US or across the world.Originality/value
The juxtaposition of multiple libraries’ DH activities provides a unique perspective on academic library DH practice, as many studies investigate only a single library as their subject.