Get a fascinating insight into the crucial work of archivists and digital experts at Exeter event 

People can get a fascinating insight into the digitisation of archives and the challenges of using technology to capture historic items. 

The Exeter event is also an opportunity to see papers and objects belonging to the renowned Cornish writer Jack Clemo and hear about the work of the experts at the University of Exeter’s Special Collections and Digital Humanities departments. 

Digitisation can be used to preserve precious links to the past, but it isn’t always the best solution. Deciding how and what to digitise is a complex task, and there are ethical and practical challenges and benefits. 

The free event, part of the national Festival of Social Science, will showcase the life and work of Clemo, who became blind and deaf, and display artefacts and original documents that tell the story of his personal and writing life. 

Those who attend will be asked to consider how digitisation can help people to access his work. 

Organiser Sarah-Jayne Ainsworth said: “Digitisation isn’t always the answer when space is short in physical archives. It’s not just a case of taking a picture. We also have to consider what you lose and the different emotional response when you digitise something – the feel and smell of a document or artefact. 

“These are dilemmas people will be having in their own lives as they work out how to store photographs and letters – whether they need a physical copy or not.” 

During the event there will be an interactive talk with a question-and-answer session and the chance to work with archival material and digitised versions of it.  

University of Exeter Digital Humanities student interns will showcase the technology they use and recent items they have worked with. 

The event will be held in the university’s Digital Humanities Lab, which contains state of the art equipment. 

The University of Exeter’s Special Collections department is home to collections from key writers associated with the South West, including Daphne Du Maurier, Agatha Christie and William Golding. 

The event will be held on Saturday 9^th November from 10.30am – 12.30 pm. Book free tickets at https://festivalofsocialscience.com/events/making-the-analogue-digital/