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Berkeley Division

Townsend Center Library Fellows
~Brief Descriptions of Their Projects~

Karen Munro, 2006-2007: Literature and Technology: The Meeting of the Twain

Students and creators of literature respond to new technologies in a variety of ways. While there are always a few who adopt new tools and paradigms with happy optimism, many more seem disinterested in, fearful of, or even hostile toward technological change. As e-journals, digitized primary sources, and course management systems change the shape of higher education and scholarly study, some scholars warn that our new tools and habits hinder our ability to read deeply and reflectively. Others simply feel that technology is irrelevant to the work at hand: that while learning objects, digital pre-print repositories, and coursecasting may suit the sciences, the study of literature is still, first and foremost, the simple act of reading a (paper) book. My project seeks to explore the history of this wary pas de deux between English-language literature and technology. What technological innovations do we now take for granted in our studies, however reviled or dismissed they once were in the past? Do writers, literary scholars, and teachers of literature respond differently to new technologies? How have past generations responded to the development of new tools and models for the writing and study of literature? What demographic changes have taken place as a result of these innovations, and what can we now say, with the benefit of hindsight, about the merits and demerits of these changes?

Dean Rowan, 2005-2006: The Concept of the Library

My project involves a “reading” of the concept of the library, specifically of the ways in which the library figures, implicitly and explicitly, in a selection of works of literary and cultural theorists and library professionals. I aim first to get beyond the stereotypical, often dismissive depictions of the roles and relevance of libraries, depictions that tend to consign to libraries purely ancillary or quaintly symbolic functions. I also hope to begin to elaborate a richer concept, the significance of which would be to prompt discussion of the library that positions it, if not squarely, then at least not simply peripherally, within a tradition of thought about literary history and meaning to which it has amply contributed. There are both theoretical and practical aspects to the project, ranging from articulating a notion of “the library as allegory,” to considering its material effects and manifestations, to interceding in the confrontation between technology and libraries.

Bette Anton, 2004-2005: Ethics of Electronic Health Information

Discussions of ethical issues associated with health information in electronic format, from the perspective of health care providers, have been for the most part focused on such issues as privacy, quality of research, telemedicine and e-mail consultation. Overlooked so far are ethical aspects of electronic information in three major areas: access to information; quality of electronic health information; and education of healthcare providers.

My project attempted to address the following questions:

1. How can we balance the good v. the harm in the issue of electronic access to health/medical information?
2. What are the conflicts of interest between distribution of information & control of information for profit?
3. What are the consequences of information seekers' desire for “e-only” information?
4. What are the implications for the education of healthcare providers?
5. How are the ethical issues related to health information in electronic format different from those related to health information in any other medium?

Paul Hamburg, 2003-2004: The Historical Geography of the Hebrew Book, 1475-1800

The Historical Geography of the Hebrew Book: 1469-1800, studied the historical, geographical and spatial contexts of the publication of early Hebrew books. Using TimeMap software in collaboration with the Electronic Cultural Atlas Initiative I explored the creation of a digital gazetteer of place names linked to bibliographic records harvested from major bibliographic databases and catalogs, e.g. Melvyl, COPAC and the Hebrew University in Jerusalem.

This long-range project takes place in various stages:

1. Extensive reading in the History of the Book and specifically the History of the Hebrew Book.
2. An exploration of the application of GIS (Geographical Information Systems) tools to Historical Research.
3. The application of the principles of GIS to the Historical Geography and dissemination of texts of the Hebrew Book including the mapping of Hebrew printing from 1500-1800 thus creating a digital gazetteer of Hebrew printing. This material, along with facsimiles of title pages of important texts found in UC libraries (The Bancroft Library and the Robbins Collection), will be displayed as an exhibit on the library’s Judaica Collection web page.
4. The development of a website of interactive maps and images.
5. The development of curricular materials for secondary school and undergraduate instruction in Jewish History.

William Brown, 2002-2003

At once the California Grizzly Bear is one of our most visible yet misunderstood symbols. The California Grizzly Bear serves, I believe, as a fitting microcosm for the study of California history from the early 1800s to the present. Through the lens of time I plan to explore the levels of brutality, ignorance, romance, guilt, and “re-definition” that characterize our treatment of this icon of California history. As noted, the study will incorporate first-person accounts, literary characterizations, scientific observations, and a wealth of images and pictorial materials. History, literature, environmental studies, Native American studies, archaeology, American Culture, zoology, and other disciplines all hold a place in this study.

Patricia Maughan, 2001-2002

My proposal involved continuing my exploration of information literacy in higher education, a project I characterized as an “inquiry in progress.”  Beginning in 1994, I conducted an ongoing Survey of Information Literacy Competencies in UC Berkeley humanities and social sciences graduating seniors.  As a Townsend Fellow, I wanted to share the results of my research to date and to explore areas of further inquiry.

These included the evolution of outcomes assessment in higher education; the confluence of teaching and learning, research, and information literacy; the identification of venues for collaboration among faculty, librarians and other campus professionals to explore and forward an information literacy agenda; the role of inquiry-based and activities-based learning in higher education and the ways in which these might help to develop and produce information literate students.

My experience in researching the “lower order” UC Berkeley student information literacy competencies over a period of years formed the basis of what I felt I could offer to the Townsend community.  I viewed the Townsend Fellowship as a means providing a setting for a fuller exploration of questions regarding future roles for faculty and librarians in designing student learning opportunities while at the university, wherein true information literacy can be achieved, and measured, and at the same time prepare students for a lifetime of learning.

Ann Jensen, 2000-2001

I was the Townsend Library Fellow during the 2000/01 Academic Year. My presentation during the Fall Semester focused on the “invisible college”, particularly how that informal network operates among researchers in the physical sciences and how it has impacted and been impacted by the development of electronic publishing. Preparation for my talk was an opportunity for extensive reading and research on my own, and the discussion that followed the presentation was lively and highly participatory.

I was the first science librarian Townsend Fellow, which provided me a unique opportunity to experience the research process and discussions in disciplines that I know very little about. As a result, I feel I have a much broader understanding of the academic mission and work of the whole University. My experience as a science librarian brought new perspectives to the humanities fellows, as well. The weekly lunches, presentations and discussions have forged memorable connections with graduate students who will soon be the junior faculty around the country, and with faculty fellows from various departments. It is a privilege and delight to participate with the wider academic community in this way. and I highly recommend it.

Samuel Trosow, 1999-2000

Trosow is examining information seeking and use patterns of humanities scholars in order to determine how the “anti-circumvention” rules contained in the recently enacted Digital Millennium Copyright Acts might adversely affect the creation, dissemination, and use of knowledge. (from the Townsend Center Newsletter, September 1999).

Suzanne Calpestri, 1998-1999

Calpestri is currently working with Professor Paul Rabinow on the Berkeley site of the Science and Technology in Motion project, exploring the ways in which interactive computer technology and the internet shape and are shaped by communities of scholars. (from the Townsend Center Description)

Maryly Snow, 1997-1998: History of the Visual Copy: Implications for Intellectual Property and the Great Image Copyright Debate

Visual reproductions (from plaster casts and engravings of paintings to photographic reproduction prints and lantern slides) enjoy a long tradition of use in instruction, research, and publication in the visual histories. While central to art and architectural history, little has been written about the history and intrinsic qualities of these visual materials. I set out to discover the history of producing, distributing, and collecting these visual reproductions in education. I hoped to bring to the intellectual property debate before Congress during the 1990s an historical perspective. I had also hoped to expand upon my paper, “Pedagogical Consequences of Photomechanical Reproduction in the Visual Histories: From Copy Photography to Digital Mnemonics”,  which was published in Visual Resources, volume 12: nos. 3-4, 1996 ( special double issue entitled, “Copyright, Fair Use and the Great Image Debate”). After reading 46 books and over 120 periodical articles, I concluded that the history I was looking for had not been written and must be buried in archives around the United States.  In an attempt to learn more, I organized a conference session in April 2002 on the History of the Visual Copy, with speakers on architectural books, lantern slides, plaster casts, and photographic collections.  My paper for that session, “Visual Copy Collections in American Institutions”, is being published in the Fall 2002 issue of Art Documentation. I am still looking for the history of my library in the UC’s University Archives, and am wondering whether anyone bothered recording the collecting, organizing, and use of lantern slides in higher education between 1880-1950.

Judy Tsou, 1996-1997

I was a fellow at the Townsend Center for the Humanities in the 1996-97 academic year. My project was to investigate the stereotypical portrayals of Chinese Americans in American popular music in the early part of this century. Previously, I had obtained a LAUC research grant to support the archival research phase of the project. The Townsend fellowship provided an opportunity for me to present and discuss my interdisciplinary project with fellow humanists. The perspectives offered were very different from the historical musicological approach in which I was schooled. The different perspectives added dimensions to my research and helped it come to fruition in an article, “Gendering Race: Stereotypes of Chinese Americans in Popular Sheet Music,” forthcoming in the journal repercussions. In addition to the direct benefit to my research, the Townsend fellowship offered a less tangible but equally important experience: a broader view on research through glimpses into unfamiliar disciplines and through the spirited Friday afternoon debates. It was certainly a mind-stretching and rewarding experience.

Terry Huwe, 1995-1996

While participating in the Townsend Fellows program, I conducted substantial research on the parallel “idea tracks” of library-based information management and non-library based information management. The original inspiration for this study came from an article published by Michael Koenig, Dean of Rosary College Library School. The article was titled “The transfer of library skill to non-library contexts”. It addressed how people are doing librarian work in new job classifications outside of libraries.

I took this concept one step further, exploring the ideological underpinnings of non library information managers (such as computer scientists, MIS managers, etc). I concluded that the “right” to provide information services is a political process, and that a wide variety of people are actually “competing” to offer services (and reap benefits as a result).

This became the basis for my Townsend presentation, which was titled “Libraries and the cult of information”. It was a big success and sparked a semester long debate about libraries. Peter Lyman was invited to sit in on a later meeting, partially as a result of the liveliness of the debate.

However, this was not the most significant aspect of my participation. The research I conducted during the fellowship directly led to two keynote speaking opportunities and three articles. I was invited to The Hague, Netherlands, to speak at the 100th anniversary meeting of FID, The International Federation for Information and Documentation. I presented an enlarged version of my Townsend talk. The speech was published in FID News Bulletin. In 1996, the Swedish Society for Technical Documentation invited me to speak at their 60th anniversary meeting in Stockholm. This speech included substantial new material but was derived from the same Townsend-sponsored study. It was published in the Nordic Journal of Documentation.

It would be safe to say that my participation in the Townsend Fellows program moved my academic career to a whole new level, and gave me entre to international speaking opportunities. I would not hesitate to participate in this program again (though I urge others to try and would not wish to supplant them).

Kathleen Vanden Heuvel, 1994-1995

During my year at the Townsend Center I gave two different presentations. The first concerned a recent trip to Cuba I had taken and was more impressionistic.  The second, presented later in the year, was on copyright and its relationship to the public interest,  libraries and scholarship. This second talk sparked considerable discussion among the Townsend fellows.  Even more important, it generated interest in the LAUC conference,  Copyright and the Public Interest, which was co-sponsored with the Townsend Center.  Professor Tom Laqueur, who was then the director of the Center, and Professor Carla Hesse, were extremely supportive of the conference.  and Professor Hesse worked with me to design the program, was a panelist at the conference, and was instrumental in inviting some of our most important speakers.

The scope of scholarly activity among the Townsend fellows was breathtaking and I found the weekly meetings to be stimulating and challenging.  I felt that my Townsend experience was personally and professionally rewarding and also helped forge some good relationships with faculty in support of librarians.  Was it a lot of work for a librarian who already had a full schedule?  Yes.  Was it worth it?  Absolutely.  I would do it again in an instant.

Gary Handman, 1993-1994

I was the first Townsend Fellow. My experience was completely salutory... Tom Laqueur was the Chair at the time...a funny and interesting guy with enormously broad interests and enthusiasms. My participation basically involved going to lunch get-togethers at the Center (I forget how often these were...couple of times a month, maybe?) and listening to faculty and grad fellows expound on their particular obsessions...amazing and head-turning stuff, very often (a humbling experience, to be sure). My own presentation was somewhat more mundane, as I recall--a brief discussion of the evolution of media technologies, and a discourse on the rising influence of moving images on contemporary culture and scholarship.

During the course of my involvement with the Townsend, I made a number of extremely valuable contacts...many of which I have maintained over the last five years or so. I think I was able to bring some useful perspectives on library services and evolving library research methodologies to the table.

It was fun... and very worthwhile, in my book.