What: A regional THATCamp, AKA an unconference focusing on the intersection of technology and the humanities. When: THATCamp Southeast is scheduled for 4-6 March 2011 Where: Atlanta, Georgia (in Emory University’s Robert W. Woodruff Library and Emory Center for Interactive Teaching) Who: organizers include digital humanities folks, librarians, and more from Emory, Georgia Tech, and Georgia State Who’s coming: One hundred faculty, librarians, arts and museum workers, graduate students, technologists, and more!
What is a THATCamp?
THATCamp is a “humanities and technology” or digital humanities unconference that originated at the Center for History and New Media at George Mason University. In the past couple of years, regional THATCamps (like THATCamp Southeast) have sprung up all over the world.
What is an “unconference”?
According to Wikipedia, an unconference is “a conference where the content of the sessions is created and managed by the participants, generally day-by-day during the course of the event, rather than by one or more organizers in advance of the event.” An unconference is not a spectator event. Participants in an unconference are expected to present their work, share their knowledge, and actively collaborate with fellow participants rather than simply attend.
Who should attend?
Anyone with energy and an interest in the humanities and/or technology. THATCamp aims to attract people the broadest diversity of backgrounds and skills possible. If you are fascinated by the intersection of technology and the humanities, this is the place for you.
What are “the humanities”?
Good question. Turns out there’s a legal definition! As the National Endowment for the Humanities puts it: “According to the 1965 National Foundation on the Arts and the Humanities Act, ‘The term “humanities” includes, but is not limited to, the study of the following: language, both modern and classical; linguistics; literature; history; jurisprudence; philosophy; archaeology; comparative religion; ethics; the history, criticism and theory of the arts; those aspects of social sciences which have humanistic content and employ humanistic methods; and the study and application of the humanities to the human environment with particular attention to reflecting our diverse heritage, traditions, and history and to the relevance of the humanities to the current conditions of national life.’ ”
What should I propose?
That’s up to you. Sessions at THATCamp will range from software demos to training sessions to discussions of research findings to half-baked rants (but please no full-blown papers; we’re not here to read or be read to.) You should come to THATCamp with something in mind, and on the first day find a time, a place, and people to share it with. Once you’re at THATCamp, you may also find people with similar topics and interests to team up with for a joint session.
Where do I apply?
We will accept applications from 1 December 2010 – 9 January 2011. To keep THATCamp small and intimate, we will only have space for about 90 Campers and so we will unfortunately have to do some vetting. We will notify selected Campers by 15 January 2011.
How much?
THATCamp is free to all attendees, but a $25 donation towards food and coffee will be much appreciated by the organizers.
Where’s the schedule?
We’ll create the entire schedule on Day 1. THATCamps are dynamic experiences. Using your application forms, we’ll put together sessions on the fly on the morning of March 5. These sessions will be fluid, and the schedule may change as new conversations begin in other sessions.
What’s BootCamp?
BootCamp is a series of educational, hands-on sessions to introduce participants to the digital humanities. See the BootCamp page for more information.
Can I sponsor THATCamp Southeast?
How lovely of you offer! Please drop us a line, at .
Who is organizing THATCamp SE?
Well, mostly the attendees. However, there are a few people who are making sure everything goes smoothly. And by chance, we’re all at Emory University this year: Brian Croxall (CLIR Post-doctoral Fellow and Emerging Technologies Librarian), Miriam Posner (Mellon Postdoctoral Research Associate in the Digital Scholarship Commons [DiSC]), Stewart Varner (Digital Scholarship Coordinator at DiSC), and Wayne Morse (Director, Emory’s Center for Interactive Teaching).
