SIUE THATCamp 2016: Engaging Communities through Digital Humanities
Welcome to the website for the SIUE THATCamp 2016! This is an unconference that will be held Saturday, June 11 – Sunday, June 12 on the Southern Illinois University Edwardsville campus in the Morris University Center.
What is THATCamp?
THATCamp stands for “The Humanities and Technology Camp.” It is an unconference: an open, inexpensive meeting where humanists and technologists of all skill levels learn and build together in sessions loosely formed prior to the conference and proposed on the spot. This allows for a more informal, collaborative atmosphere compared to a typical conference setting. SIUE THATCamp 2016 attendees will come together in sessions to solve a question , or perhaps create a new one, through scholarly exchange.
Who should come?
All are welcome! The organizers of the THATCamp are enthusiastic about engaging with the community and to learn the ways in which others have engaged with their communities through the digital humanities.
What is community?
The digital humanities is in inherently interdisciplinary. When we talk about community, this could mean local historical societies, librarians, scholars, humanists, technologists, and any community member within and outside of SIUE. Welcoming groups from outside the university setting is a fantastic way to build partnerships and share needed skills and new perspectives. We are always looking for ways to reach out and make these kinds of connections and we are interested to see how technology can be a facilitator for that.
How to register?:
Attendance is limited to 100 participants to ensure a lively and engaged atmosphere. Apply now to let us know why you want to attend and what ideas you want to share. Registration is $10. Register here.
What to expect and other information:
The unconference format allows for a variety of crowdsourced sessions and topics, and the schedule of the event is not decided until after the accepted attendees propose sessions (here) leading up to the event. As a group, we will vote on the content the morning of June 11. Those who propose events are expected to lead and moderate the self-proposed sessions if they are voted into the schedule.
With a maximum of 100 participants, the THATCamp will be intimate, informal, and executed by the attendees themselves. We hope that sessions will create dialog about DH and community engagement, as well as demonstrations and showcases of current DH tools and projects from the attendees.
All attendees will be invited to compete in a maker challenge! Attendees can work together to create a digital object like a document, app, script, or website. They will be able to share their digital projects on this website where all attendees will vote on their favorites and the top three entries will be awarded prizes!
This is a great opportunity to practice presentation skills in an informal environment and talk about topics or projects you’re interested in pursuing.
Stay Connected:
We hope to have some other fun things planned that weekend so stay tuned by checking the blog and following @SIUeTHATCamp and #thatcamp.
For more information about THATCamps, visit the THATCamp 101 page.
If you have any questions, please email Lora Smallman ( ).
We hope to see you in Edwardsville!
