A report recently released from Ithaka S+R, Sustaining the Digital Humanities: Host Institution Support Beyond the Start-up Phase, investigates different models of supporting DH, particularly around the concepts of service, lab, and network. The report is based on interviews with more than 125 individuals, and key findings include:
- Faculty are not just using digital tools and content; many see themselves as creating them, too.
- Even on campuses with designated DH centers, there is rarely an end-to-end solution in place to support faculty from planning, to building, to preservation and outreach.
- Digital project leaders gravitate to whatever support they can find, piecing together funding here, consultation there.
- Lack of clarity about how DH work and outputs support institutional aims and who should âownâ these outputs makes it difficult for those planning deeper investments, whether in the form of a research support system including workshops and training, or as a more entrepreneurial lab effort for building new grant-supported works.
The report also includes a Sustainability Implementation Toolkit, âintended to guide faculty, campus administrators, librarians, and directors of support units as they seek solutions for their institutions.â
