THATCamp 101

Posted on September 27, 2012 by Spencer Keralis

THATCamp 101

In brief

An unconference is to a conference what a seminar is to a lecture, what a party at your house is to a church wedding, what a pick-up game of Ultimate Frisbee is to an NBA game, what a jam band is to a symphony orchestra: it’s more informal and more participatory. To get the most out of THATCamp, have fun, be productive, and stay collegial. Don’t bring a presentation (unless you’re teaching a workshop). Propose a session and take charge of running it. Talk, make, teach, play. Listen. Help take notes. Sign up for Dork Shorts. If a session isn’t useful for you, go to another one (that’s the Law of Two Feet). Bring a laptop, not a tablet. Dress comfortably. Consider volunteering to teach something. Keep a record of the experience. Don’t forget to fill out an evaluation.

Further resources

THATCamp Ground Rules (4:50)

A video we didn’t make (2:50)

Here’s a great video about unconferencing at Transparency Camp: just about everything in it applies to THATCamp as well.

Categories: General |

About Spencer Keralis

Spencer D. C. Keralis is Research Associate Professor and Digital Humanities Coordinator with the Public Services Division of the University of North Texas Libraries. He holds a PhD in English & American Literature from New York University. His research has appeared in Book History, American Periodicals, and the Council on Library and Information Resources (CLIR) reports The Problem of Data (2012) and Research Data Management: Principles, Practices, and Prospects (2013). He has held a Mellon Fellowship at the Library Company of Philadelphia, a Legacy Fellowship at the American Antiquarian Society, and served as a CLIR Postdoctoral Fellow in Academic Libraries with the University of North Texas Libraries. His current projects focus on representations of children and animals in antebellum American literature and material culture; and on the implications of social media, digital curation, and data management for the future of the humanities.