Tech Training
These introductory sessions will help participants develop an awareness and understanding of web platforms, metadata, working with multimedia files, mapping tools and methods, and intellectual property fundamentals.

Some sessions will be offered concurrently, with participants able to choose one of two sessions. This allows for smaller, more-effective hands-on sessions, while still allowing team members to split up and attend all workshops offered.

Digital Content Platforms & Web Hosting

Facilitators: Kaylen Dwyer, Brian Rosenblum
Specialized skill in web development is no longer necessary for building digital projects. There are many platforms available to choose from whether you are creating a digital archive, multimedia exhibit, or a web application. This session will provide an overview of a range of digital humanities platforms (including Omeka, Scalar, Jekyll, and Wordpress) and how to evaluate them, considering functionality, technical skill, support, cost, and sustainability. Learners will also be introduced to web hosting options and what to look for in a shared hosting provider.

Omeka

Facilitator: Kaylen Dwyer
Omeka is a free, open source publishing platform for sharing digital archives and creating media-rich online exhibits. It is widely used and supported and suitable for a wide range of digital projects. This workshop will provide a guided tour of Omeka’s features, structure, and extended capabilities. Participants will create their first digital exhibit using archival and metadata best practices. Participants will be provided with resources for further reference, including how to install Omeka on their own servers, and how to work with Dubline Core metadata.

Mukurtu

Facilitators: Kim Christen, Michael Wynne
This workshop focuses on site planning and core content creation in Mukurtu CMS and builds on the earlier introductory presentation. In this workshop, participants will receive hands-on training in planning and setting up a Mukurtu site, implementing Mukurtu’s core features, and the step-by-step procedures to curate digital heritage items utilizing Mukurtu CMS.

Accessible & Inclusive Web Design

Facilitators: Kaylen Dwyer, Sylvia Fernández, Brian Rosenblum
This session considers various aspects of accessible and inclusive web design, including principles of accessible design, Web Content Accessibility Guidelines, accessibility strategies for different disability types, and approaches to creating multilingual sites. We will also consider the pros and cons of using smartphone applications for the digital public humanities. Considerations include the availability and distribution of technological infrastructure (e.g., wifi in rural communities), the added development costs of making an app versus a responsive website, and sustainability of the app platform. Participants will be provided with resources to pursue these topics further.

Metadata & Data Management for Digital Humanities Projects

Facilitator: Erin Wolfe
This session will provide an introduction to creating and managing data and metadata for a variety of DH projects. With an emphasis on practical application, we will cover what metadata is (and what you need), why it’s important, and how to effectively create and manage metadata from the beginning. We will also look at aspects of data management, project documentation, preservation, and other topics integral to a successful DH project. Participants will be provided with readings and resources to make use of after the institute.

Mapping & Data Visualizations for the Public

Facilitator: Sylvia Fernández
In this hands-on workshop, building on discussions in earlier sessions, participants will create sample datasets particular to their projects and learn how to incorporate the data file to a mapping or visualization platform using Carto and RAWGraphs. By the end of the workshop, participants will have gained some introductory, hands-on experience in the creation of data for digital mapping and visualizations and discussed ideas about how to integrate these techniques into their public digital humanities project.

Digital Audio and Video Production for Oral History and Digital Storytelling

Facilitator: Tami Albin
The technology needed to record interviews and create post-production content is a rapidly changing field. The advantage of these changes include portability, lower cost, and usability. The disadvantage is the same as the advantage. Rapid creation of newer technologies create challenges and issues regarding accessibility and obsolescence. This lack of longevity can render equipment and software useless within five to ten years. In this session we will discuss hardware and software options, budgeting, developing good data management habits, and issues surrounding archiving and preservation.

Access, Ownership, & Reuse

Facilitator: Josh Bolick
This session will provide a foundational introduction to U.S. copyright law that addresses both the rights of creators as well as users. The goal is basic copyright literacy that is useful for all 21st century citizens, both in and out of the academy, to enable collaboration across stakeholder groups in which all parties share in ownership and awareness of the rights and opportunities of ownership. This portion of the workshop will be informed by the U.S.Copyright Office Circular 1: Copyright Basics and A Framework for Analyzing Any U.S. Copyright Problem by Smith and Macklin. Building on this foundation, we will explore Creative Commons licenses as a practical tool enabling a modicum of control with a mind towards sharing collaborative digital projects. To facilitate this discussion, we will use the Creative Commons License Chooser tool to apply a license to an object created for the session, such as the session slides, which will be shared with attendees for future reference.