Beyond the Book: Full Day Symposium

Explore how traditional archival scholarship and emerging digital technologies combine to bring materials from the past to new audiences. Join digital designers, specialist librarians and early modern scholars from leading universities and libraries.

Throughout the day, you’ll hear from leading minds in engagement, research and digital design, learn about some of the challenges in creating a digital exhibition and hear about new research unearthed from the remarkable Emmerson Collection.

Please note: catering will be provided throughout the day.

This event is part of Beyond the Book: Transforming the Early Modern Archive. View the full series of events here.

Explore the Library's online exhibition, Beyond the Book: A Digital Journey through the Treasures of the Emmerson Collection.

Agenda

9-9.30am: Welcome. Hear from the Library’s CEO, Paul Duldig, who will welcome everyone to the symposium, and officially launch our first ever digital exhibition, Beyond the Book: A journey through the Emmerson Collection.

9.30-10.30am: Expanding Horizons in GLAM Engagement Plenary Talk with Director and CEO of ACMI, Seb Chan.

11am-12.30pm: Emmerson Collection Research Roundtable. Moderated by Patricia Pender, Associate Professor, English and Writing, University of Newcastle, with panellists including Sarah Ross, Professor of English, Victoria University of Wellington; Dr Nat Cutter, Teaching Associate and ARC Research Coordinator, University of Melbourne; Dr Anna Welch, Principal Librarian, History of the Book and Arts, State Library Victoria; Rosalind Smith, Professor of English, Australian National University; and Paul Salzman, Emeritus Professor, La Trobe and Newcastle Universities.

1.30-3.00pm: Designing the Digital Exhibition with the Beyond the Book digital exhibition creators Mitchell Whitelaw and Julia Rodwell.

3.30–5pm: The Emmerson Collection in the Rare Books Landscape with panellists Dr Anna Welch, Principal Librarian of History of the Book and Arts, State Library Victoria; Des Cowley, former Principal Librarian of History of the Book and Arts, State Library Victoria; Christian Algar, Curator of Printed Heritage Collections, British Library; and Professor Emma Smith, Professor of Shakespeare Studies, Oxford University. 

About the Emmerson Collection

The Emmerson Collection of rare books is Australia's largest collection of rare British printed works. The collection will be featured feature in State Library Victoria’s latest exhibition, Beyond the Book: A Journey through the Emmerson Collection, which creates a new way to experience rare books and collection data in the digital realm. This project has been developed through a collaborative partnership funded by an ARC Linkage Grant.

Exhibition partners include Australian National University, University of Newcastle, Victoria University of Wellington and State Library Victoria.