ADHO Steering Committee : Chair's Report June 2009
Overview
Overall, 2008-09 has been a period of continued growth and development for ADHO, and many of its structures and processes are beginning to settle into something that seems to be both flexible and robust. The implications of new member admissions require specific and immediate attention, as described below, but a good deal of the planned ADHO infrastructure is now in place. Looking ahead, it is clear we are in a period of unprecedented opportunity.
Admission of new members: SDH-SEMI
The first 18 months of SDH-SEMI's accession as a Constituent Organisation (CO) of ADHO has thrown up some practical and structural issues that have posed particular difficulties for SDH-SEMI as an organisation, and unless we can together find ways to resolve the issues, they could even lead to withdrawal. Members of the AHDO SC have been working with SDH-SEMI colleagues, most directly with the co-President, Ray Siemens, but also with others, to see how best to address the difficulties and the concerns these have occasioned.
The most pressing practical issue is to do with OUP's online subscription system for LLC. There have been a number of problems, some apparently related to such mundane matters as Canadian postcodes. The online subscription problems have not been restricted to would-be Canadian subscribers, and the ADHO Membership Co-ordinator, Melissa Terras, has spent a good deal of time following up the problems notified to her with Paula Thomson and others at OUP.
Thanks to Melissa's hard work and the very positive approach of OUP, a number of the most pressing problems appear to have been resolved. OUP sent a senior team to London for discussions with the ADHO Membership Co-ordinator, Treasurer, and Chair, and the LLC Editor, and this very constructive meeting was able to identify and agree action on a number of the outstanding problems. Neither we nor OUP can afford to relax our vigil on this, and we will need to keep things under close review.
The other most significant problem has to do with the revenue distribution process. During the period of discussion leading to admission, the financial models we used suggested that SDH-SEMI would receive something on the order of 3,000 gbp p.a., assuming no fall in income from LLC, and this was a factor in the submission of their formal application for admission.
As it turned out, the distribution to SDH-SEMI in 2008 was about one third of what we had projected, mainly as a result of a very significant increase in agreed common ADHO expenditures. While SDH-SEMI stood to benefit from the increased joint investment, at the same time it was clear that this level of revenue was insufficient if they were to pursue some of their specifically Canadian agenda.
The architecture of ADHO from the outset has been that each CO would have a regional basis, because it was clear that there were actions that would best be carried at regional level - e.g. relationships with national or regional funders. The recent and current strong commitment of the Canadian research council to the digital humanities makes it particularly important - even from an ADHO perspective - that SDH-SEMI should have the resources it needs to pursue its specifically Canadian opportunities and responsibilities.
Specific suggestions for how to address the revenue distribution so as to ensure that every CO, now and in the future, receives an appropriate minimum level are outlined elsewhere, and are being discussed as a matter of urgency. It is important, however, that we address the issues not just in terms of SDH-SEMI's immediate concerns, but within a broader context of adjusting our procedures in such a way that we are better prepared for the next admission(s), which are likely to involve associations of the size of SDH-SEMI or smaller.
I would like to thank Ray and his SDH-SEMI colleagues for their patience and good will, and for the constructive approach they have taken in our discussions.
ADHO Infrastructure
It is heartening to see the developments that have taken place over the few short years since we took the collective leap of faith in establishing ADHO. The Standing Committee structure is now looking robust, and covers a very wide range of joint interest and activity.
The development of a range of publication venues available to digital humanities scholars has been most encouraging - I would say impressive. There is still work to do here, and on the structures and guidance in relation to our annual conference, but a great deal of progress has been made. The Publications Committee is now responsible for developing the digitalhumanities.org website, and plans are in place for significant enhancements and extensions. The Multi-Lingual Multi-Cultural Committee has carried out research on which it will be reporting, and the newly established Awards Committee has overseen its first group of bursary awards, and will be announcing the recipient of the 2010 Busa Award at the 2009 conference.
It is not surprising that the budget for joint ADHO activities has grown sharply, because the range of joint action has developed quite quickly, and now covers a lot of ground.
ADHO Governance
The rapid growth in collective action 'at ADHO level' together with the structural stresses revealed in the SDH-SEMI experiences mean that we need to review some aspects of how the constituent organisations relate to each other within the ADHO family. Discussion of this will begin in the June 2009 meetings.
Global opportunities
The funding opportunities for new digital humanities work continue to multiply, from national and regional research councils as well as private foundations. There are also developments in issues of academic recognition in many parts of the world. The fundamentally collaborative nature of the digital humanities offer very particular advantages to ADHO and the members of its COs, and together we need to be thinking about how we can pursue these opportunities both from a strategic and a practical perspective.
Resp: Harold Short
Date: June 2009
Status: Report for ADHO Steering Committee
-- Main.HaroldShort - 17 Jun 2009