ELMCIP Electronic Literature Knowledge Base Symposium 2018

The ELMCIP Electronic Literature Knowledge Base (​http://www.elmcip.net/knowledgebase​), an open-access, contributory research database, was launched in 2010 as part of the HERA-funded ELMCIP (Electronic Literature as a Model of Creativity and Innovation in Practice: Developing a Network-Based Creative Community). During and after the ELMCIP grant period (2010-2013), the Knowledge Base grew to become the most substantial research database in the field. The database now includes more than 12,000 records documenting creative works, critical writing, authors, publishers, organizations, events, teaching resources, databases and archives in the field of electronic literature, and is used on a daily basis by researchers around the world. It is also an essential aspect of the University of Bergen Digital Culture curriculum, used in four different courses, including most significantly DIKULT 207: Digital Humanities in Practice, a course in which our students actively work on developing records and analyses of works and relationships between objects and actors in the field of electronic literature. The Knowledge Base has developed not only into a cornerstone of the international field of electronic literature, but also a prominent and often-cited Digital Humanities research project, cited in such volumes as ​A New Companion to the Digital Humanities​ (Schreiberman et al., eds. Blackwell, 2016) and ​Digital Humanities​ (Berry and Fagerjord, Polity, 2017). The Knowledge Base is also one of the core partner projects of the international CELL (Consortium for Electronic Literature).

At the same time as it has become an essential research resource, the Knowledge Base faces real challenges in terms of its sustainability. LLE has provided some support for basic maintenance and development of the Knowledge Base for the past five years, but if the database is to remain affiliated with the University of Bergen long-term, it will need to find a home and funding in a more permanent research infrastructure within UiB, perhaps within the University library or through partnerships with other stakeholders. There are also questions about how to develop a less ad-hoc editorial structure, again given few resources. On an international basis, how to best integrate our work with sister projects in the CELL consortium is also an open question, touching both on research relationships and on sharing of metadata. We also need to consider how KB metadata and resources can best be shared with European infrastructures like CLARIN. Finally, at the same time as the University of Bergen has developed and hosted several important Digital Humanities projects, there is as yet nothing here like the type of Digital Humanities centers which are becoming commonplace in many leading North American and European research universities. It is worth considering such models, and how important international-reach Digital Humanities projects such as the ELMCIP database could be involved in a broader university-wide DH initiative.

Participants: from the University of Bergen: Scott Rettberg, Jill Walker Rettberg, Alvaro Seiça (Skype), Elisabeth Nesheim, Stein Magne Bjørklund, Aud Gjersdal & invited guests from the UiB humanities faculty and UiB libraries. External guests: Hannah Ackermans (Netherlands), Davin Heckman (Winona State University, USA), Piotr Marecki (Jagiellonian University, Poland), Elli Mylonas (Brown University, USA), Anna Nacher (Jagiellonian University, Poland), Eric Rasmussen (University of Stavanger), Joseph Tabbi (University of Illinois, Chicago, USA).

Thursday, April 26th

Room: HF 216

9:30​: Coffee & introductions

10-10:45:​ Knowledge Base in Review
Roundtable discussion of history of the Knowledge Base project, lessons learned, and present condition. S. Rettberg, E. Rasmussen, A. Seiça, S. Bjørklund

10:45-11:30: ​Electronic Literature Knowledge Base for Researchers and Teachers
Presentations discussing research outcomes derived from use of the KB, and use in pedagogy.
J.W. Rettberg, S. Rettberg, A. Seiça, H. Ackermans

12-12:45​: ​Digital Humanities in the Library: Support, Advocacy and Maintenance
A presentation by Elli Mylonas, Director, Center for Digital Scholarship, Brown University Library on on pioneering efforts in merging DH research, infrastructure, and libraries.

12:45-1:30: ​The Future of Digital Humanities at the University of Bergen

1:30-3:00:​ Walk through Nygårdsparken, visit to Media City Bergen, coffee

3:00-3:45: ​Labs for the Digital Humanities
Presentation by Piotr Marecki of UBU lab at Jagellionian University, discussion of different lab models for e-lit and digital culture.
 

4-5:00: ​The Electronic Literature Knowledge Base for Authors
Feedback from e-lit authors and researchers on how the Knowledge Base informs their practice, what they would like to see in the future.

5:30-6:30​ Hyperobjects exhibition at the Joy Forum
Tour of the Hyperobjects exhibition at Joy Forum and Rom 61 in the new Faculty for Art, Music, and Design building, Møllendalsveien 61.

Friday, April 27th

Room: Sydneshaugen Skole, 124

9:30-10:30​ Discussion of potential Marie Curie ITN Resercher Training Network

10:30-11:30​ The Consortium for Electronic Literature
Discussion of the status of the CELL consortium, led by Davin Heckman, ELO board of directors.
 

12:00-1:00 ​Redefining Electronic Literature
Book presentation and debate: two new books: The Bloomsbury Handbook of Electronic Literature (Bloomsbury, 2018) edited by Joseph Tabbi and Electronic Literature by Scott Rettberg (Polity, 2018) that promise to redefine the scholarship and pedagogy of electronic literature will be presented and discussed in a debate moderated by Eric Dean Rasmussen.

1:30-3:00​ Knowledge Base Hands-on Jam Session
Participants will work with the ELMCIP Knowledge Base in documenting chapters from The Bloomsbury Handbook of Electronic Literature and will discuss the user experience. 

3:00-4:00 ​The Future of the Knowledge Base
Brainstorming future development scenarios, uses, features, funding, hosting, etc. of the Knowledge Base.