The Authority File Round-Up – November 2021

A quick overview of last month's episodes, in case you missed them

Posted on December 14, 2021 in Blog

Authority File graphic. Reads: "Conversations with thinkers shaping the future of academia"

In one of our episodes from last month, guest Nduka Otiono reflected on how the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic influenced his collection DisPlace: The Poetry of Nduka Otiono. The isolation, fear, and death that surrounded us no doubt impacted our professional, personal, and artistic lives, which begs the question: how will history look back on this period? How will our social media posts, news media, diary entries, and entertainment inform later generations on the cultural climate and collective psyche?

Last month, our first series included Nduka and the editor of his poetry collection. The second featured an academic and Adam Matthew Digital editor who examined primary source use. Though disparate subjects, the two tie together ideas of what we leave behind. Issues that we wrestle with today, whether through journalistic or poetic means, help us understand our present and leave clues for the future. Whose voices are brought to the fore? Whose are silenced? How can what we create reveal who we are and where we want to go?

Here’s a quick round-up of the episodes, in case you missed them. We hope you find the discussions interesting, thought-provoking, and timely. Thanks for listening!

The Making of DisPlace

Nduka Otiono and Peter Midgley join the program to discuss DisPlace: The Poetry of Nduka Otiono. They explore the collection’s creation, the politics of language, and how the text interrogates themes of identity, the African diaspora, and western ideas of literature. Brought to you by Wilfrid Laurier University Press.

Episode one: Backgrounds and Beginnings

  • How did Nduka and Peter come to collaborate on this project? What were the writing and editing processes like? Listen to episode one here.

Episode two: Contextualizing “World Literature”

  • How did Nduka’s Nigerian roots shape this collection? How can writers like Nduka help overturn outdated definitions of the literary canon? Peter also shares his wariness of terms like “world literature” and “global south.” Listen to episode two here.

Episode three: Unpacking the Title, Themes, and Influences

  • What’s the inspiration and meaning behind the title, “DisPlace”? How did the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic influence Nduka’s poetry? Listen to episode three here.

Episode four: Language as Politics

  • How do the politics of language relate to Nduka’s collection? Plus, Nduka reads and reflects on two poems from DisPlace. Listen to episode four here.

Primary Source Literacy

Dr. Rebecca Crites, a research fellow at the University of Warwick, and Felix Barnes, an editor at Adam Matthew Digital, dig into the importance and current landscape of primary source literacy. Becky highlights primary source use in the classroom and in her own research, while Felix underscores digital primary source tools at Adam Matthew, as well as new technology advancing the field. Brought to you by Adam Matthew Digital.

Episode one: Definitions and Approaches to Archival Material

  • How is primary source literacy defined today? What skills do students need to understand and evaluate the diverse forms of primary sources? Listen to episode one here.

Episode two: Understanding Embedded Power Structures

  • What challenges in primary source use does Becky face within her subject area of domestic violence? How does a lack of materials from the silenced or oppressed influence research practices? How do librarians help guide this essential work? Listen to episode two here.

Episode three: Research Methods Primary Sources

  • What are the uses, tools, and goals of Adam Matthew’s Research Methods Primary Sources? Which case studies has Becky contributed to the platform? How do academic contributors like Becky enhance this resource for students? Listen to episode three here.

Episode four: The Impact of Digitization

  • How has digitization impacted primary source research, digital literacy, and accessibility? How has primary source use changed since Becky and Felix’s time at university? What are the latest tools available on Adam Matthew Digital? Listen to episode four here.

Missed October’s episodes? We’ve got you covered.

Two guests from Springer Nature, Caroline Nevison, Director of Commercial Transition OA, and Dr. Ritu Dhand, Vice President Editorial Nature Journals, discussed the future of open science. Touching on transformative agreements, open versus subscriber-based content, and open research’s impact on society, Caroline and Ritu bring both an editorial and marketing perspective to the topic. What open science practices has Springer Nature adopted? What are its impacts on the broader marketplace? How have hybrid policies affected library-publisher relationships? 
Click here to listen to the series.

What’s Coming Up in December

We have two fantastic series this month. First, Simon Dalby, author of Anthropocene Geopolitics: Globalization, Security, Sustainability, connects issues of borders and security with climate change. Simon walks through how current geopolitics must factor in planetary boundaries to achieve a sustainable future and prevent the devastating effects of the climate crisis. What is the Anthropocene period? How does climate change play a role in our political, economic, social, and public health security? You can find the first episode here.

Our second series features three guests who specialize in the field of community music: Lee Willingham, editor of Community Music at the Boundaries, and Mary Cohen and Stuart Duncan, co-authors of the forthcoming Music-Making in U. S. Prisons: Listening to Incarcerated Voices. Lee, Mary, and Stuart contemplate the fluid definition of community music and its inherent ties to activism and social justice. How does this grassroots-led subsection of music education fit into the academy? Click here to listen to the first episode.

You can find more episodes of the Authority File here on our website, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.

Thanks for listening! See you next month.

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