Back to our Roots Archives, Community, and DH at Gettysburg College

In 2016, Musselman Library's summer DH program started with 3 students working at the intersections of social justice and community archives. In 2022, we found ourselves back at our roots, again with 3 students working with materials from our Special Collections and College Archives. The program received a new name (the Fortenbaugh Digital Humanities Fellowship) and a new funding stream through the generosity of library donors, but retained many of the distinctive elements of the past iterations, such as its curriculum and focus on process over product. Gettysburg College students Alyssa Gruneberg '24 researched the history of student civic engagement at the college; Anali Matthew '23 explored the experiences of children during the Civil Rights movement; Mav Schmidt '24 studied the construction of patriotism in wartime propaganda. The configuration of this summer's program encouraged the students to think about DH in a local setting by using our collections while contextualizing their research as part of larger national movements. In this panel presentation, lead program facilitator R.C. Miessler will introduce the (slightly) restructured program, and each student will present their projects and discuss key takeaways from their fellowship experience. Presenters: R.C. Miessler (Gettysburg College), Mav Schmidt (Gettysburg College), Anali Matthew (Gettysburg College), Alyssa Gruneberg (Gettysburg College)