It seems like the readings this week caused some discomfort in our group.  We read about the divide between professional and amateur historians, the academy and the public, memory and history.  The instigator of this discomfort appears to be the internet.  That is to say, digital tools, spaces, and practices in relation to history as they are used by professional historians and amateur historians are illuminating a divide.

While I am keen to earn professional credentials, I believe public interest in history should be cultivated.  We are all amateurs at something, we all have unique memories.  I believe the internet/digital age is and will continue to make history accessible, perhaps someday, transparent. Professional historians can now learn to participate in the process.

Reading Highlights

Madsen-Brooks 

The discussion about historical credibility, politicization, and professional intervention is necessary because of the nature of a polarized society.  I am not surprised by this.  I agree that professional historians are presented “with new opportunities and modes for expanding historical literacy” online.  I do not think wish to police public memory, fight conspiracy theories, etc.  I do like the role of educating others on how to be more critical of primary sources, and find ways for ‘citizen history’ projects to intersect with professional research.

Wolff

This discussion seemed to be about historians’ comfort level with open-access sources and processes of knowledge dissemination.  Of course historians benefit from databases and digitized sources and we use these more and more.  We may get access through professional subscriptions or our association with educational institutions.  However, the general public also has access to “vast swaths of historical information and analysis…on the open web.”  This is where we “share a space” with the public.  My intellectual heart skipped a beat when I read “the normative form of access to the past will be electronic.”  I agree and am excited about the possibilities.

Unsworth

I heard the old “publish or perish” mantra in my undergraduate history courses.  It’s a scary proposition to think I have to publish research to earn my credentials, but really, who is going to read it? Unsworth basically says we should find the audience, which is perhaps not entirely academic, or utterly specialized.   The problem is how to be effective or profitable as electronic publishers learn how to charge for their services appropriately.   Readership and communication between professionals about their field is still important, and digital publishing is another avenue to maintain these vital paths in our field.