| Popis: |
The movement toward digital humanities (DH) began in libraries and, as many critics have noted, libraries continue to be central to developments in the field. As part of the resulting transformations, the way that humans can now engage with materials stands at the brink of revolution. The constantly improving functionality of electronic reading environments presents exciting and still largely untapped opportunities for librarians and DH researchers to change the structure of reading itself as a human experience for both scholars and students. Alongside DH models oriented toward large-scale data processing and the statistical analysis of textual objects, we have seen the introduction of relatively simple and often freely available digital technologies, including linked data functionality and data visualizations, into the nascent arena of electronic reading. This event opens unprecedented vistas for both improvised and programmatic exploration of stylistics, themes, historical contexts, critical discourse, and more in the real-time experience of reading. The humanities play a critical role in the transformation of a technologically-driven society, and libraries now stand poised at the forefront of humanistic innovation. As reading on the digital screen becomes a ubiquitous method of information consumption, libraries are positioned to drive significant changes in the reading experience itself. |
