This August, I’m attending the Society of American Archivists gathering to contribute to the Tragedy Response Initiative Task Force that is creating and or compiling material for ready accessibility by archivists who are facing a sudden tragedy.
I wrote about the lack of such materials in an essay earlier this year for Collaborative Librarianship, so I’m excited to contribute this hard and important work to make those resources available.
Joanna Federico (Kentucky Historical Society and Kentucky Oral History Commission) Lara Kelland (University of Louisville), Sharon Leon (Michigan State University) and I are hosting a day of hacking on March 27 during the National Council on Public History’s annual conference to bring the existing digital public projects on mass shootings into conversation, and to create a central place for new work.
A full description is below. Our work will be added and updated to the website aftertheshots.org for those who wish to follow along!
Columbine. Sandy Hook. Mother Emanuel. Pulse Nightclub. The history of the past two decades is littered with the names of the sites of tragedy—sites and communities torn apart by mass gun violence. Though these incidents continue to multiply, with their graphic media coverage and expansive digital footprint, public historians are just beginning to come together to assemble resources to document and preserve the complicated histories of these events.
Join us for an active day of hacking to bring the existing digital public projects on mass shootings into conversation, and to create a central place for new work. We encourage participants with all ranges of digital skill levels — expert researchers, coders, designers, and public historians working with communities touched by this type of violence. Participants with their own projects or those wishing to contribute to others are welcome. Together we will build a digital commons that provides access to as much known public history work, memorial sites, and open public data about mass shootings and their aftermath. Then, through the remainder of the conference, we will engage with a number of linked session related to mass shootings and gun violence to form a lasting virtual community around this work.
You can catch me Saturday, January 12, 1:00 PM – 4:00 PM at Scribe Video Center for a hands-on workshop about how best to care for your beloved mementos, such as photos, documents, and films.
More details about the invite and registration available on Scribe’s website or Facebook!
I’m offering my Podcasting 101 course again at the Made in NY Media Center by IFP on November 26 and 29, just in time for those who want to apply to the Podcasting Certificate Program to get a handle on all the steps involved and hone their ideas. Join me!