Course Offerings

In this class, students will first learn some fundamentals of cultural heritage informatics and be introduced to the major kinds of institutions in this space: galleries, libraries, archives, and museums. Students will also see case studies of how fundamental concepts like access or metadata get used in contemporary examples.

This course we will explore the concepts and values of open knowledge and knowledge equity and how they intersect with the ongoing evolution of digital environments. Open knowledge can be described as information that is freely available to the public to use and redistribute. Knowledge equity extends beyond information access and use to also include what is valued as knowledge, whom that knowledge represents, and who creates it.

Engage in modern ethical dilemmas within archives, libraries, and museums, considering issues of collections management and preservation within changing cultural frameworks. This I 320C topic carries the Cultural Diversity in the United States flag. The purpose of the Cultural Diversity in the United States Flag is for students to explore in-depth the shared practices and beliefs of one or more underrepresented cultural groups subject to persistent marginalization. In addition to learning about these diverse groups in relation to their specific contexts, you’ll also reflect on your own cultural experiences.

This course introduces digital archival collections that can be accessed and used as data for research and inquiry. Topics will focus on the transformation, analysis, and interpretation of digital cultural heritage in archival contexts, including digitization, web archiving, software emulation, and data archiving. From text messages, Spotify playlists, to the President's tweets--how are digital traces collected, preserved and managed by archives? What are the ethics of managing digital archives and making them accessible to researchers, the public, and machines?

This course explores the life cycle of a digital library/collection through various critical lenses and hands-on experiences. The objective of the course is for students to obtain a solid understanding of the theoretical frameworks, technical processes, and technologies needed to build meaningful, ethical, and reusable digital libraries.

This course examines key issues, challenges, and opportunities in the creation, management, and leadership of nonprofit organizations. Attention is given both to internal organizational issues and to nonprofits’ relationships with key external constituencies. Among the topics to be considered are nonprofit creation, mission management, organizational leadership, funding strategies, partnerships, and the impact of the public policy environment. Readings and discussion will examine nonprofits in varied fields of activity (such as human services and culture). Assignments and exercises will be employed to help develop presentation and grant writing skills. The course is organized in a seminar format and will employ exercises and cases to translate broad themes to practical issues related to nonprofit strategy and management. Guest speakers will periodically join us to share their own experiences building and running nonprofits (additional speakers may be added).

Disaster events, like floods and fires, can cause severe damage and loss in cultural heritage collections. How will you respond when disaster strikes? This course introduces students to the fundamental preservation concepts, planning strategies, and applied response techniques that make a difference. The class will evaluate the physical impact of fire, water, soot, mold, and insects on varied media, including books, flat paper, audiovisual materials, and other items. Disaster planning exercises model proactive methods to minimize damage. Hands-on response drills enable students to practice salvage techniques, and to triage and prioritize impacted materials.

Learning key data wrangling maneuvers in abstract and implementations in SQL, Excel, R Tidyverse, and Python Pandas. Maneuvers in data transformations include Nest, Pivot, Mutate (inc. separate/unite), Group/Summarize and Rectangling. Projects include working with "wild caught" data datasets (usually CSV or JSON) and computational notebook environments (e.g., iPython, Jupyter, Rmarkdown, Quarto). Fall 2024 has changes from previous syllabus now that we have Database Design and Introduction to Programming. Nonetheless, the previous syllabus is still useful as it links to course materials that show the teaching approach and type of assignments. http://howisonlab.github.io/datawrangling/#Schedule_of_classes

Exhibits are a powerful way for libraries, archives, museums, and cultural institutions to engage the public with their collections. This course offers students the opportunity to plan and install an exhibit, focusing on objectives such as: crafting a narrative around physical objects; drafting exhibit text; accommodating media preservation issues; building basic display supports; and publicizing the exhibit. Students will learn about the historical origins of modern-day exhibit practices and will visit and evaluate current exhibits on campus and in the Austin area.

Study of audio recording through a chronological examination of the development of recording; basic care and preservation of recordings; Preservation of audio archives; and stability concerns of audiovisual media.

Ever wondered how libraries and archives safeguard historical materials for future generations? Preservation is the answer. In this course, students learn collections care strategies that enable today’s information stewards to protect our growing cultural record. Scientific foundations and practical exercises will address common preservation challenges, such as environmental control, mold, insects, pollutants, and light damage. Modern topics in health, safety, and sustainability will highlight the developing nature of the field. Students will evaluate preservation risks for books, paper, electronic media, and other collections materials.