DH2023 ADHO Conference Bursary Award

As one ADHO’s constituent organizations and sponsor of DH2023 the Association for Digital Humanities in the German Speaking Areas (DHd) congratulates all recipients of ADHO-Travel bursaries  for DH2023 at Graz (Austria). To promote these bursaries and to encourage applications in coming years DHd has asked recipients from the German speaking areas to write individually short blog posts about their experiences. This post is part of the series. 

The Alliance of Digital Humanities Organizations Annual Conference (ADHO) in Graz was an enlightening experience for me. I had the privilege of presenting our collaborative project, „Magnetic Margins: A Census and Reader Annotations Database,“ alongside my colleagues, Alessandro Adamou (Digital Humanities Lab at the Bibliotheca Hertziana, Rome) and Hassan el Hajj (Research IT at the Max Planck Institute for the History of Science, Berlin). Our panel was thoughtfully curated and expertly moderated, making our participation all the more rewarding.

While Alessandro was present in Graz, Hassan and I participated online as I was located in the US at the time and traveling all the way to Graz seemed somewhat over the top. I nevertheless applied for one of the ADHO’s travel grants, but  in order to be reimbursed only for the conference fees – EUR 165 instead of up to EUR 850, being the regular lump sum for travel costs. At the time of the conference, I myself had a fellowship with the Linda Hall Library at Kansas City that could not cover participation fees. To my great delight, it was no problem for ADHO to be flexible and pragmatic in this respect. 

The virtual format of the conference proved to be highly effective. Despite being in a North American time zone, I could seamlessly join the sessions via webinars. The ease of accessing live streams and recorded sessions meant I never missed any critical discussions or intriguing talks. Our presentation on “Magnetic Margins” was a culmination of collaborative efforts and research. Alessandro, Hassan, and I had worked diligently to develop a comprehensive census and reader annotations database, making use of cutting-edge digital humanities methodologies. Alessandro’s presence in Graz allowed for a smooth and seamless delivery of the presentation. Hassan and I were able to contribute effectively through the virtual medium, which was testament to the ADHO’s seamless integration of online participants.

Although I missed the opportunity for in-person networking, the virtual setting offered a range of networking tools. ADHO’s digital platforms facilitated communication among participants, allowing us to engage in meaningful conversations and connect with fellow researchers. The ADHO Annual Conference 2023 in Graz was a resounding success, leaving a lasting impression on me. I look forward to future opportunities to participate in ADHO conferences and continue contributing to the thriving community of digital humanities scholars.