Abby Smith
Director of Programs
Council on Library and Information Resources (CLIR)
Charles Henry
Vice Provost and University Librarian
Rice University
As scholars in the humanities and social sciences use digital tools and technologies with increasing sophistication and innovation, they are transforming their practices of collaboration and communication. New forms of scholarship, criticism, and creativity proliferate in arts and letters and in the social sciences, resulting in significant new works accessible and meaningful only in digital form. Many technology-driven projects in these areas have become enormously complex and at the same time indispensable for teaching and research. What kind of infrastructure—cyberinfrastructure, that is–will be needed to support these activities as they grow in scale, complexity, and potential for transformation? And how will the cyberinfrastructure change the relationship between disciplinary communities and the general public, extending the reach of Humanities and Social Science resources and practices deep into non-academic audiences?
In 2004, the American Council of Learned Societies formed a national commission to investigate and report on these issues. The Commission is charged to:
• Describe and analyze the current state of humanities and social science cyberinfrastructure
• Articulate the requirements and the potential contributions of the humanities and the social sciences in developing a cyberinfrastructure for information, teaching, and research
• Recommend areas of emphasis and coordination for the various agencies and institutions, public and private, that contribute to the development of this cyberinfrastructure
This briefing will provide an update on their work and a preview of their findings and recommendations.
Web Sites:
http://www.acls.org/cyberinfrastructure/cyber.htm