Coming Up in June!
After a brief hiatus, NISO’s Humanities Roundtable, the popular annual event developed in collaboration with a committee of stakeholders from across the information community, returns on June 20, 2023.
The day-length conference will continue its 20-year tradition of drawing on the expertise of scholarly associations, university presses, librarians, researchers, and more to provide participants with exciting discussions about the needs of those working in these critical disciplines. This year’s program takes on two timely topics critical to the humanities: open access and emerging technologies.
There is broad support for open access across many disciplines, but the humanities face unique challenges in the transition. In many places, grants and other forms of funding are not as available as they are for the STEM disciplines, making open access less financially sustainable. Funding challenges also pose barriers to equity, making participation more difficult for students and researchers based at smaller institutions or in lower- and middle-income countries. Meanwhile, new technologies have raised questions about the very future of the humanities. The recent release of ChatGPT has the potential to change how we think about and assess writing and other creative endeavors; it has already led to perplexing legal questions about intellectual property and copyright. But AI also has the potential to facilitate communication and make content more accessible, two goals that are well aligned with the principles driving the move to open access.
Underpinning the Humanities Roundtable is the belief that these disciplines, with their emphasis on communication, creativity, and critical thinking, have a special role to play as humankind navigates these powerful tools and their impact on how we live and work. In addition to thought-provoking keynotes and expert panels, the event will include plenty of time for interactivity and discussion, allowing attendees to weigh in as we consider these issues and their ramifications for the future.
Anticipating the program, NISO’s education program manager and DEIA advocate, Kimberly Gladfelter Graham, states:
Dialogue and collaboration are crucial as open access and artificial intelligence become increasingly intertwined in the arts, culture, and humanities. By providing a forum for stakeholders to come together and discuss pressing issues, the Humanities Roundtable will help us to identify trends, share best practices, and examine ethical and equitable priorities to develop responsible and sustainable practices that reflect the needs of the humanities community.
Check out our event page for updates on the program and speakers! And special thanks to our event sponsors: EBSCO, Bowker, Atla, MLA, Project MUSE, and Taylor & Francis, whose support helps us to keep registration affordable for all.
Register here. Discounts are available for NISO Voting Members/LSA Members as well as for students, retirees, and anyone who is currently unemployed. Recordings will be available for those who cannot attend any part of the live broadcast.
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