Presentation by Steven Lubar at the University of Glasgow September 2013

1. The Humanities:
Public, Open,
Applied & Engaged
Steven Lubar
Brown University
September 2013

2. How can our work be
interesting, useful,
and meaningful to
the public?
How does working
with the public make
our work better?

3. The public cares
about the
humanities...
But they don’t care
as much about the
work of academic
humanists

4. Academic humanists
need to talk to each
other...
That’s necessary, but
not sufficient. We
gain from working
with the public, too.

5. Universities are
changing...
A push for efficiency
Vocational training
Engines of economic transformation
Engines of cultural transformation

6. How can we take
advantage of these
changes?
How can we both
respond to external
demands and do our
own work better?

7. Impact
Reaching beyond the
university...
Civic and Community Engagement
Knowledge exchange
Public scholarship

8. New Models for the
Humanities
Applied
Translational
Open
Digital
Public

9. APPLIED
HUMANITIES
..Training for
technical
jobs, museum
careers,
policy work?

10. APPLIED
HUMANITIES
..or as a
source of
values to
improve
individuals
and the
world?

11. APPLIED
HUMANITIES
..or as a
source of
values to
improve
individuals
and the
world?
“One studies
the humanities
to gain useful
knowledge
about the
world in which
he lives,
spiritual
nourishment,
and a sense of
values”
—Edwin
Steinberg

12. APPLIED
HUMANITIES
..or as a
source of
values to
improve
individuals
and the
world?
“the ability to
own (enact and
embody) a
literary or
philosophical
insight should
be central to
humanities
learning in
college.”
—Svetlana
Nikitina

13. TRANSLATIONAL
HUMANITIES
Give people
the tools to
understand
our work?
“Establish
communication
between the
studies of
academia and
the everyday
lives in our
community.”
—Eastern
Illinois
University

14. TRANSLATIONAL
HUMANITIES
Or refocus
our work on
topics of
community
interest?
“Ensure the
literacy of
users in the
multiple
languages of
the media and
communities
that they
encounter on
the Web.”
—Abby Smith
Rumsey

15. OPEN
HUMANITIES
Open access
journals and
books, open
data and open
sources
tools?

16. OPEN
HUMANITIES
...Or
democratizing
production
and
consumption
of humanities
research.
“The values of
the open
humanities are
Collaboration,
Inclusivity,
Interdisciplin-
arity, Open
Access,
Open Process,
Open SOurce,
and
Involvement of
the Public.”
—Eric Johnson

17. OPEN
HUMANITIES
...Or
democratizing
production
and
consumption
of humanities
research.
“The free
sharing of
historical
information…
helps solve
social
problems
relating to
collective
memory and
public
history.”
—George
Mason
University

18. DIGITAL
HUMANITIES
A conduit
between the
public and
the academy?
“It serves to
make
humanities
research into
something of a
new multi-
player online
game with
global reach
and relevance.”
—Anne Burdick

19. DIGITAL
HUMANITIES
...or a new
kind of
multivocal
conversation
that the
public can
Join
“collaborating
with
communities…
envisioning
new ways of
interacting
with our many
publics
—University of
Iowa

20. PUBLIC
HUMANITIES
Supporting
students and
faculty who
connect the
public to
history, art,
and culture

21. PUBLIC
HUMANITIES
Supporting
organizations
that explore,
preserve, and
interpret
cultural
heritage

22. PUBLIC
HUMANITIES
...or helping
communities
make culture
meaningful,
useful and
accessible

23. PUBLIC
HUMANITIES
making
colleges and
universities
“agents and
architects of
a flourishing
democracy.”

24. PUBLIC
HUMANITIES
“building
bridges to a
wide range of
local and
regional
institutions
and their
respective
publics.”
—Yale Public
Humanities
making
colleges and
universities
“agents and
architects of
a flourishing
democracy.”

25. PUBLIC
HUMANITIES
“Public
humanities
means cultural
work in the
public interest
and liberal
arts education
for
democracy.”
—Michigan
State Public
Humanities
making
colleges and
universities
“agents and
architects of
a flourishing
democracy.”

26. Six Suggestions
Shared authority
Public
scholarship
Work with
community
organizations
Collaborate with
artists
Think digital
Teach practical
skills

27. Six Suggestions
Shared authority
Public
scholarship
Work with
community
organizations
Collaborate with
artists
Think digital
Teach practical
skills

28. Six Suggestions
Shared authority
Public
scholarship
Work with
community
organizations
Collaborate with
artists
Think digital
Teach practical
skills

29. Six Suggestions
Shared authority
Public
scholarship
Work with
community
organizations
Collaborate with
artists
Think digital
Teach practical
skills

30. Six Suggestions
Shared authority
Public
scholarship
Work with
community
organizations
Collaborate with
artists
Think digital
Teach practical
skills

31. Six Suggestions
Shared authority
Public
scholarship
Work with
community
organizations
Collaborate with
artists
Think digital
Teach practical
skills

32. Six Suggestions
Shared authority
Public
scholarship
Work with
community
organizations
Collaborate with
artists
Think digital
Teach practical
skills

33. Thanks