Studying the Digital Future

It is May 2016, and a senior faculty member is putting the final touches on the third volume of the SIS Studies in the Digital Future published by MIT Press. This particular volume is on the “Future of the Archive.” The first volume, published in 2012, was on the “Future of the Database”; the 2014 volume was on the “Future of the Book.”

Each volume includes a dozen essays, some singly authored by a SIS faculty member, others jointly authored by SIS faculty and doctoral students. Each essay is presented from a particular disciplinary perspective (computer science, cognitive science, library and information science, history, etc.) reflected by the backgrounds and orientation of the faculty. The essays probe the theme and reflect different perspectives. Each volume includes one essay by either a masters or doctoral student deemed to be the best student paper on the book’s theme prepared that academic year. There is a summary essay and a bibliography for supplemental reading. The volumes are not highly technical but are aimed at an educated public, policymakers, and other information professionals.

The essays have been formed by a collaborative faculty process extending over two academic years. A SIS-wide doctoral seminar has been offered on the theme, with guest appearances by SIS faculty. The faculty has been encouraged to offer assignments in masters courses and other doctoral seminars on the particular theme. A colloquium series has been offered with four to six outstanding experts on the theme to offer their insights and to stimulate the continuing conversations (one of these guest lectures has been featured in each of the three books in this series). There are new experiments in team-taught, School-wide courses. The Doctoral Guild is featuring presentations on the theme of the next book.

The series volumes have been reviewed in The New Review of Books and The New York Times Book Review, along with the usual array of professional and scholarly journals. The reviews have been both positive and provocative, and, as a result, a major foundation has just approached the School to prepare a series of three books on other “future” topics, including additional funds to expand the post-doc program to support this series and to host an annual conference at the School. This has led to the iSchool Conference wishing to focus one its meetings on a common theme, with other sessions critiquing the previously published volumes.

Richard J. Cox