Cymru Digidol

On the 15^th March, Anthony Mandal and I met with Glen Robson, the Head of Systems at the National Library of Wales, and Owain Roberts, the Acting Head of Research at the National Library of Wales, to learn about the superb digital projects that they are working on over in Aberystwyth. With a focus on projects that have at their core a strong crowd-sourcing element, the following datasets can be defined as being research-led and innovative whilst at the same time allowing for significant public engagement. One of the characteristics of the NLW’s digital work is its user-friendliness and cleanness of design. The work that Glen and Owain are contributing to – both intellectually and practically – has the potential to not only revolutionise how we understand Welsh history but it also has an in-built capacity to engage the general public with how research is conducted (and produced) academically.

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Digital Materiality Conference, NUI May 21st – 22nd 2015

In light of the forthcoming (May 2016) publication by Matthew G. Kirschenbaum, Track Changes: A Literary History of Word Processing, I’ve decided to post this review of the Digital Materiality conference held in Galway last year, where Matthew was one of the plenary speakers.  

It is a truth, universally acknowledged by writers of all nationalities, that when one begins to write about Ireland, an introductory paragraph must be filled with clichéd references to Guinness, drinking, dancing, Eurovision and/or Michael Flatley, the beautiful landscape, the friendliness of the people, the wonderful music and the power of the nation’s poetry. If the writers in question wish to be particularly clever, then also expect Father Ted to be in the list too. Down with this sort of thing, I say, as this is, obviously, not the place to make such references even though after spending a few days in Galway as part of NUI’s superb Digital Materialities conference I can confirm that they are all true. Even Michael Flatley.

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