Hannah Lovett, & Dr. Theresa Avila
Digital Humanities is an emergent practice. It integrates interdisciplinary approaches and typically involves technology to support humanistic inquiry and/or to capture, preserve, and make visible material and information that is otherwise not accessible or clear. Other aspects of DH include digitizing and sorting objects, which can be challenging for numerous reasons and time consuming. As a student research assistant working on the National Parks Ephemera Project in the spring of 2024 I worked with a collection of ephemera and practiced object handling, object classification, data entry, organization of information, development of standard vocabulary lists, and interpretation. I also investigated other digital archives as models. Through the student research assistantship, I have gained insights into collection and archive practices and about Digital Humanities. The objectives of the National Parks Ephemera Project to investigate the construction of the parks in relation to the experiences of diverse communities has also led me to consider the role of ethics and social justice within collection practices, archives, and in digital spaces. This presentation will offer insights into collection and archival practices within digital humanities, and more importantly will address how we can activate collections, archives, and DH toward social justice.