The consequences of framing digital humanities tools as easy to use

Abstract

This article examines the recurring ways in which some of the most popular DH tools are presented as easy to use. It argues that attempts to couch powerful tools in what is often false familiarity, directly undermines the goal of encouraging scholarly innovation and risk taking. The consequences of framing digital tools as either easy or more difficult shapes the relationship between librarians and the students and faculty whose research they support, and, more broadly, the role and viability of libraries as spaces devoted to skill acquisition.

Keywords:

• DH pedagogy
• DH tools
• digital humanities
• infrastructure

Acknowledgments

The author thanks Yvonne Lam for invaluable conversations throughout the development of this essay; and to Alex Gil, Yvonne Lam, Emily McGinn, Roopika Risam, and Rachel Shaw for feedback on earlier versions of this article.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.