Who created the Latvian DH tools and resources and why?

• In Event: Digital Humanities and Language Technology

Abstract

It is believed that the first Latvian DH resource was the Montreal corpus of Latvian Sun-songs created in the mid-1970s (Vikis-Freibergs, Freibergs 1978). In Soviet Latvia, the computerization of Dainas began some 10 years later. Nowadays, thanks to such institutions as Tilde, Institute of Literature, Folklore and Art of the University of Latvia, Institute of Mathematics and Computer Science of the University of Latvia, The National Library of Latvia etc., several well-developed DH resources have been established and are operating in Latvia. However, in general, this scene is considered to be relatively fragmented.
This paper is prepared in the course of the Latvian state-funded research project ‘Digital Resources for Humanities: Integration and Development’ (2020-22), in which, among other tasks, the builders of the resources themselves are studied. Relatively often humanities professionals have been studied as users of DH tools and resources (see Gibbs & Owens, 2012; Green & Courtney, 2015; Warwick, 2012 etc.). Although some of them are the builders of such resources themselves, they have been little studied in this role, but in Latvia – practically not at all.
Based on their experience in creating and maintaining resources, as well as their assessments of what a good DH resource should be, typical practices are reconstructed and practical and political recommendations for further development of the Latvian DH resource scene are developed.

Short Bio

Jānis Daugavietis, Dr.sc.soc., is a researcher at the Institute of Literature, Folklore and Art, University of Latvia. He got a PhD from the University of Latvia in applied sociology and has worked in many research projects mainly employing quantitative methods since 2002. His main research interests are sociology of music, digital humanities, environmental sociology, amateur arts and cultural policy. A member of the Board of Latvian Sociological Association.

Authors

• Jānis Daugavietis, University of Latvia, Institute of Literature, Folklore and Art

• Ilona Kunda, The Latvian Academy of Culture

• Ance Kristāla, The Latvian Academy of Culture

• Agnese Karlsone, The Latvian Academy of Culture