Humanities Adventures in Computerland

This interdisciplinary symposium will explore the role of humanities computing in higher education generally and at UNLV in particular. It will involve faculty, graduate students, and undergraduates from a variety of departments at UNLV, invited visitors from public libraries, and the general public. The program will be organized around presentations by two prominent scholars from the University of Virginia, Jerome McGann and John Unsworth. Their work at Virginia defines the cutting-edge of humanities computing: their visit provides us with a unique opportunity to come together in an extended discussion in order to explore the exciting possibilities of humanities computing and how it might best be developed as a field of study at UNLV.

The issues McGann and Unsworth will discuss are very important for a number of reasons. In the most general terms, the traditional scholarly fields that comprise the humanities have, over the last decade, become increasingly involved with information technology, and humanities computing has begun to present itself as a discipline in its own right. In more local terms, UNLV is committed to establishing an international reputation in academia, but at present, the University lacks even an academic division or department to coordinate study in this field. This seems a good time to explore whether we should be offering such a degree -- but before we can answer that question, we need to have a better understanding of the current state of this field in academia.

This seminar will tie into, and capitalize on, activities already underway in the University's Libraries, its division of Information Technology, and its individual departments and Colleges, like the development of computer classrooms, the expansion of the University's web site, the ongoing seminars currently offered on web site development, and the electronic projects increasingly common among faculty, graduate and undergraduate students. Moreover, it will continue, in a narrower and more sustained discussion, the University's commitment to, as the mission statement puts it, "embrace the traditional values of higher education adapted for the global community of the 21st century." It will also serve as an excellent platform for introducing librarians from Nevada Public Libraries to some of the most exciting work being done in this field: public librarians from across the state will be invited to attend the symposium. This involvement could inaugurate a new era of cooperation and integration for UNLV and Nevada's regional and state libraries. Finally, the symposium will coincide with the opening of our new Lied Library: by providing an interactive seminar that will include librarians, faculty, and graduate students, it will provide a dramatic demonstration of the exciting future of humanities studies at UNLV.

John Unsworth, Associate Professor of English and Director of the Institute for Advanced Technology in the Humanities (IATH) at the University of Virginia, is one of the most important scholars in the field of humanities computing and post-modern studies. He has published work on the mechanics, theory, and ethics of humanities computing, as well as on post-modern culture. As the co-founder of the electronic journal Postmodern Culture, he has made a substantial contribution to the ongoing dialogue about electronic publishing and the literary academy. As the Director of the groundbreaking Institute for Advanced Computing in the Humanities, he has helped establish the University of Virginia's reputation as a leader in the field of hypermedia archives. As an invited speaker, he has designed and given a wide array of lectures and symposia at universities all over the world. His presentation at UNLV will provide an overview of electronic scholarly publishing: electronic journals, thematic archives, monographs and dissertations. He will also discuss some of the guidelines for electronic publishing coming out of major scholarly societies, like the MLA and the American Historical Association, and outline some of the current national initiatives to develop electronic publishing. McGann will act as respondent to this talk.

Jerome McGann, the John Stewart Bryan Professor at Virginia, is a distinguished scholar in the field of humanities studies generally and in British poetry in particular. His publications cover an astonishing range of subjects, from the poetry of Byron and Swinburne to the critical methodology of New Historicism and textual criticism, to one of the most interesting electronic text projects currently in production, The Complete Writings and Pictures of Dante Gabriel Rossetti: A Hypermedia Research Archive. In this symposium, he will give a formal lecture about the Rossetti Archive as a particular experience in electronic scholarly editing. This talk will complement Unsworth's lecture by emphasizing the exciting possibilities of electronic editions. It will also outline the lessons we can learn about hypermedia archives in general from the construction of this archive in particular. Unsworth will act as respondent to this lecture.

McGann and Unsworth will also lead, jointly, two additional talks, which will be run as seminar discussions. The first talk will address apprehensions about information technology in the university. The second will be a collective consideration of the resources that already exist at UNLV, how they might be combined and leveraged, and how faculty participation can be encouraged and supported.

All events will take place in the Marjorie Barrick Museum Auditorium.

10 am: Dean James H. Frey, College of Liberal Arts, UNLV: Opening Remarks

10 am - 12 noon: Jerome McGann, "Scholarly Adventures in Computerland"

2 pm - 4 pm: John Unsworth, "Thematic Research Collections: An Emerging Genre of Scholarly Publishing"

10 am - 12 noon: Presentation by and discussion with John Unsworth

2 pm - 4 pm: Presentation by and discussion with Jerome McGann

Dr. Gregory Brown, Assistant Professor, Department of History

Charlotte Farr, Director, Department of Distance Education

James H. Frey, Dean of the College of Liberal Arts

Dr. Bradford Eden, Head of Cataloging, James R. Dickson Library

Dr. Gary Palmer, Professor of Anthropology

Publicity Coordinator / Public Library Liaison

Tamaria Anderson, Public Librarian, Clark County Libraries

Nevada Humanities Committee: $1000

Department of English: $1000

Office of Information Technology: $500, plus staffing and equipment

University Libraries: $500

Department of Distance Education: $500

El diseño de la página y las imágenes son

Friday 21 April 2000: Field Notes from the University of Virginia

Saturday 22 April 2000: The Future of Humanities Computing at UNLV

	Abstract
	This interdisciplinary symposium will explore the role of humanities computing in higher education generally and at UNLV in particular. It will involve faculty, graduate students, and undergraduates from a variety of departments at UNLV, invited visitors from public libraries, and the general public. The program will be organized around presentations by two prominent scholars from the University of Virginia, Jerome McGann and John Unsworth. Their work at Virginia defines the cutting-edge of humanities computing: their visit provides us with a unique opportunity to come together in an extended discussion in order to explore the exciting possibilities of humanities computing and how it might best be developed as a field of study at UNLV.

	The issues McGann and Unsworth will discuss are very important for a number of reasons. In the most general terms, the traditional scholarly fields that comprise the humanities have, over the last decade, become increasingly involved with information technology, and humanities computing has begun to present itself as a discipline in its own right. In more local terms, UNLV is committed to establishing an international reputation in academia, but at present, the University lacks even an academic division or department to coordinate study in this field. This seems a good time to explore whether we should be offering such a degree -- but before we can answer that question, we need to have a better understanding of the current state of this field in academia.

	This seminar will tie into, and capitalize on, activities already underway in the University's Libraries, its division of Information Technology, and its individual departments and Colleges, like the development of computer classrooms, the expansion of the University's web site, the ongoing seminars currently offered on web site development, and the electronic projects increasingly common among faculty, graduate and undergraduate students. Moreover, it will continue, in a narrower and more sustained discussion, the University's commitment to, as the mission statement puts it, "embrace the traditional values of higher education adapted for the global community of the 21st century." It will also serve as an excellent platform for introducing librarians from Nevada Public Libraries to some of the most exciting work being done in this field: public librarians from across the state will be invited to attend the symposium. This involvement could inaugurate a new era of cooperation and integration for UNLV and Nevada's regional and state libraries. Finally, the symposium will coincide with the opening of our new Lied Library: by providing an interactive seminar that will include librarians, faculty, and graduate students, it will provide a dramatic demonstration of the exciting future of humanities studies at UNLV.

	The Participants

	John Unsworth, Associate Professor of English and Director of the Institute for Advanced Technology in the Humanities (IATH) at the University of Virginia, is one of the most important scholars in the field of humanities computing and post-modern studies. He has published work on the mechanics, theory, and ethics of humanities computing, as well as on post-modern culture. As the co-founder of the electronic journal Postmodern Culture, he has made a substantial contribution to the ongoing dialogue about electronic publishing and the literary academy. As the Director of the groundbreaking Institute for Advanced Computing in the Humanities, he has helped establish the University of Virginia's reputation as a leader in the field of hypermedia archives. As an invited speaker, he has designed and given a wide array of lectures and symposia at universities all over the world. His presentation at UNLV will provide an overview of electronic scholarly publishing: electronic journals, thematic archives, monographs and dissertations. He will also discuss some of the guidelines for electronic publishing coming out of major scholarly societies, like the MLA and the American Historical Association, and outline some of the current national initiatives to develop electronic publishing. McGann will act as respondent to this talk.

	Jerome McGann, the John Stewart Bryan Professor at Virginia, is a distinguished scholar in the field of humanities studies generally and in British poetry in particular. His publications cover an astonishing range of subjects, from the poetry of Byron and Swinburne to the critical methodology of New Historicism and textual criticism, to one of the most interesting electronic text projects currently in production, The Complete Writings and Pictures of Dante Gabriel Rossetti: A Hypermedia Research Archive. In this symposium, he will give a formal lecture about the Rossetti Archive as a particular experience in electronic scholarly editing. This talk will complement Unsworth's lecture by emphasizing the exciting possibilities of electronic editions. It will also outline the lessons we can learn about hypermedia archives in general from the construction of this archive in particular. Unsworth will act as respondent to this lecture.

	McGann and Unsworth will also lead, jointly, two additional talks, which will be run as seminar discussions. The first talk will address apprehensions about information technology in the university. The second will be a collective consideration of the resources that already exist at UNLV, how they might be combined and leveraged, and how faculty participation can be encouraged and supported.

	Symposium Schedule
	All events will take place in the Marjorie Barrick Museum Auditorium.

	Friday 21 April 2000: Field Notes from the University of Virginia
	10 am: Dean James H. Frey, College of Liberal Arts, UNLV: Opening Remarks
	10 am - 12 noon: Jerome McGann, "Scholarly Adventures in Computerland"
	2 pm - 4 pm: John Unsworth, "Thematic Research Collections: An Emerging Genre of Scholarly Publishing"


	Saturday 22 April 2000: The Future of Humanities Computing at UNLV
	10 am - 12 noon: Presentation by and discussion with John Unsworth
	2 pm - 4 pm: Presentation by and discussion with Jerome McGann
	4 pm: Dr. Christopher Hudgins, Department of English: Closing Remarks

	Participating UNLV Faculty

	Coordinator Dr. Karen A. Droisen, Assistant Professor, Department of English

	Advisors
	Dr. Gregory Brown, Assistant Professor, Department of History
	Charlotte Farr, Director, Department of Distance Education
	James H. Frey, Dean of the College of Liberal Arts
	Dr. Bradford Eden, Head of Cataloging, James R. Dickson Library
	Dr. Gary Palmer, Professor of Anthropology
	Lori Temple, Director of the Office of Information Technology

	Publicity Coordinator / Public Library Liaison
	Tamaria Anderson, Public Librarian, Clark County Libraries

	Co-Sponsors
	Nevada Humanities Committee
	College of Liberal Arts
	University Libraries
	Distance Education
	Department of English
	Office of Information Technology

	Funding
	Nevada Humanities Committee: $1000
	Department of English: $1000
	Office of Information Technology: $500, plus staffing and equipment
	University Libraries: $500
	Department of Distance Education: $500
	College of Liberal Arts: $500
	This event is made possible in part by a grant from the Nevada Humanities Committee.