With the hosting of Humanities Commons moving to MSU, we return to this site as a place to highlight and celebrate the things MLA members are doing on the Commons. For the past few years, those activities have been highlighted elsewhere, like on the HC team blog Platypus. Stay tuned for more posts here highlighting MLA Commons members, groups, sites, and CORE deposits—as well as tips for how to make the most of the Commons.
Here are a few examples highlighting what MLA members have been doing on the Commons:
- Caitlin Duffy, an MLA member and recent PhD in English at Stony Brook University who worked in a part-time role at the MLA, conducted the HC User Spotlight interviews and co-organized the Humanities Commons Twitter Conference and HC Summer Camps.
- Kendra Leonard has created a number of sites on the Commons, including one she used to conduct an open peer review of her book Spirit Films. Leonard reflected in an interview for the HC User Spotlight that the Commons “has helped me find work by colleagues and to make new connections that have led to important exchanges and helped shape my work.”
- Andrew Newman discussed his American Literature Anthology Project site in his HC User Spotlight. He said he thinks of his Commons profile as his “virtual intellectual home.” He also presented during the Humanities Commons Twitter conference.
- Kay Sohini presented on building an online academic presence with a Commons blog during Making Connections, the Humanities Commons Twitter conference.
- Lisa Tyler discussed her Virtual Hemingway project in an HC User Spotlight. Tyler participated in the HC Summer Camp and learned more about Commons features and functionality. She remarked on the ways the Commons facilitates connections between scholars: “I tend to do my research alone, and it’s really easy to feel isolated at times. With Humanities Commons I can see the potential for collaboration as people work on projects rather than having to wait until an article or book is finished and submitting it for review.”
We look forward to highlighting more the ways MLA members are using the Commons to connect with colleagues, develop their scholarship, and share the story of their work. If you have suggestions for what we might feature, please contact us! You can send an email to commons@mla.org.