The importance of tactility and the physical space of libraries and archives stood out to me in this week’s readings, particularly after the two field trips. It was interesting to read about Aby Warburg’s library and the Prelinger library, both organized based on the founders’ personal interests and also a reflection of how they see and understand their collections. Megan Shaw Prelinger compares the physical experience of browsing the stacks to the act of exploring a landscape. This informs the geospatial organisation of the library but also draws attention to the fact that physical research allows for connections and associations to be made that digital research currently does not.
In thinking about digital research or digital collections, the idea that the digital could incorporate or mimic the physical experience of the browsing is intriguing. Because digitisation creates greater accessibility, I think adding this element of the physical experience to the digital is worthwhile and could drastically change the process of research. As research and collecting is a subjective experience and act, how would this change the algorithmic digital space?
Thanks, Lena! Lots of your classmates have raised similar questions — about the differences between analog and digital exploration, and the potential for a serendipitous digital experience. I’m sure these themes will be central in tomorrow’s discussion!