Participation Type
Roundtable
Session Title
Appalachia Online: Digital Projects at Marshall University and Beyond
Session Abstract or Summary
Digital Humanities is a “hot topic” or “growth field” in higher education. At Marshall University, for example, a multidisciplinary minor has recently been approved, a Faculty Learning Community has been meeting for the last two years, and the English Department hired a new faculty member specializing in DH work. This is likely the case with other institutions represented at the conference; this roundtable will focus on discussing ways in which digital work and Appalachian studies intersect.
The roundtable will begin with remarks by Robert Ellison, a faculty member in the English Department, and Thom Walker, who until recently was the Music and Digital Services Librarian. They will discuss two projects—one well underway, the other in the early stages—involving digitizing sermons, hymns, and other materials by preachers who worked in West Virginia, Kentucky, and Ohio. The rest of the session will follow an “unconference” format, in which attendees will be encouraged to discuss ASA-related digital projects underway in their home libraries and universities.
The roundtable will help to accomplish two of the goals stated in the Call for Participation:
- Showcasing how faculty and librarians can work together on DH projects can help “educate ASA membership about innovative work being conducted in the region.”
- Opening the discussion to others who may be working on DH projects of their own can “facilitate ASA connections and collaborations with other organizations, groups, and movements.”
Presentation #1 Title
The Rev. M. Homer Cummings Papers at Marshall University
Presentation #1 Abstract or Summary
In 2014, Marshall University was given materials by and about Rev. M. Homer Cummings (1890-1978), who pastored Methodist churches throughout West Virginia for over 50 years. In his portion of the roundtable discussion, Thom Walker will discuss what’s in the collection, how it came to be at Marshall, the donors’ desire for how it will be used, and how he, Robert Ellison, and a class of honors students have worked to reach that goal.
At-A-Glance Bio- Presenter #1
Thomas Walker is a librarian and independent researcher in music. His research areas include southern regional music and religion, including jazz and blues. In addition to his research areas, he is also an audio engineer holding committee appointments with the Association for Recorded Sound Collections. He has given presentations on preservation and restoration of magnetic tape media, wire recordings, and disc-based recordings.
Presentation #2 Title
The Tri-State Sermons Project
Presentation #2 Abstract or Summary
The digitization of the Cummings papers was originally conceived as a stand-alone project. It is now being regarded as the first phase of a larger effort, tentatively called the “Tri-State Sermons Project.” The Special Collections department at Marshall has a number of other sermons by preachers with ties to the area, such as Henry Altmeyer, who served as the pastor of St. Joseph’s Catholic Church in Huntington from 1899 until his death in 1930. In his portion of the discussion, Robert Ellison will discuss the materials he has discovered and his plans for making them available online.
At-A-Glance Bio- Presenter #2
Robert H. Ellison is Assistant Professor of English at Marshall University. He has helped to team-teach the department’s Introduction to Digital Literary Studies, and is currently a member of a Faculty Learning Community focusing on digital humanities. His research specialty is the rhetoric of preaching; his projects include directing Marshall’s Center for Sermon Studies and serving as the editor-in-chief of Sermon Studies, a peer-reviewed, open access journal.
The Rev. M. Homer Cummings Papers at Marshall University
In 2014, Marshall University was given materials by and about Rev. M. Homer Cummings (1890-1978), who pastored Methodist churches throughout West Virginia for over 50 years. In his portion of the roundtable discussion, Thom Walker will discuss what’s in the collection, how it came to be at Marshall, the donors’ desire for how it will be used, and how he, Robert Ellison, and a class of honors students have worked to reach that goal.
