Research on the Digital Humanities Practices in Chinese Libraries: A Case Study of Shanghai Libraries

Abstract

Abstract:This paper examines the practices of digital humanists in Chinese libraries, with a particular focus on those that have good application results in digital humanities (DH). First, based on research into human databases created by Chinese libraries and analysis of information collected from 152 libraries, we selected three libraries for a case study whose research findings of DH projects have been put into practical application. Next, we collected relevant materials by means of interviews, literature research, network research, and other methods. Finally, the paper identifies some important issues, such as motivations, content, and cooperation, that need to be addressed when analyzing these programs by a case study. Some achievements have been made because of efforts by a number of Chinese libraries to develop DH, but accompanying these achievements are challenges. The paper puts forward the core problems for DH in Chinese public libraries and tries to give a numerical solution scheme that will help to promote the development of DH.