Documentary editors have long recognized the unique capabilities of the digital edition, which allows for more integrated presentation of metadata as well as greater accessibility for users via the Internet. With the process of creating online editions well explored, what are the next steps editors must take to stay current in an ever-changing digital environment?

At the American Historical Association annual meeting (http://www.historians.org/annual-meeting), January 7-10 in Atlanta, editors will discuss the methods they use to remain up-to-date in the production and dissemination of their editions at the roundtable “Documentary Editors Engage the 21st Century” (https://aha.confex.com/aha/2016/webprogram/Session13356.html). While digital technology allows for new ways of presenting documentary texts, these technologies also create opportunities to reach out to new audiences.

Should documentary editors’ responsibilities lie solely with presenting reliable texts, or should they also include making that text approachable to a wider audience? How do editors go about doing this, and why should they concern themselves with it? Scholars on this roundtable represent a variety of editorial projects, and from their unique perspectives they will discuss how they seize the opportunities of the digital age to ensure that their work remains relevant to a rapidly evolving audience. This could refer to the types of documents editors work on, the presentation of the texts themselves, auxiliary projects based on the data arising from the documents, or reaching out to audiences through the use of social media. Participants will also discuss getting students involved in editing, ensuring that interest in documentary editing will continue well beyond the period of current scholars’ careers.

Speakers include Tenisha Armstrong (Martin Luther King, Jr. Papers Project), David Coleman (Presidential Recordings Program), Edward G. Lengel (The Washington Papers Project), and Jennifer Steenshorne (The Selected Papers of John Jay). They will give brief presentations, followed by a discussion, in which they hope to be joined by fellow editors, archivists, and textual scholars.

The session will be held Thursday, January 7, 3:30 PM-5:30 PM, in the Crystal Ballroom C (Hilton Atlanta, First Floor). For more information about the AHA annual meeting, visit historians.org/annual-meeting. The meeting will also include sessions on archival issues, public history, and digital history, as well as sessions and events in numerous historical disciplines. We hope you’ll consider joining, as well as helping to spread the word about this event.

For more information, feel free to contact the session chair, Stephanie Kingsley, at skingsley@historians.org.

ROUNDTABLE DISCUSSION:

DOCUMENTARY EDITORS ENGAGE THE 21st CENTURY

Chair:
Stephanie Kingsley (American Historical Association)

Speakers:
Tenisha Armstrong (Martin Luther King, Jr. Papers Project)
David Coleman (Presidential Recordings Program)
Edward G. Lengel (The Washington Papers Project)
Jennifer Steenshorne (The Selected Papers of John Jay)

Date: Thursday, January 7
Time: 3:30 PM-5:30 PM
Location: Crystal Ballroom C (Hilton Atlanta, First Floor)

A complete session abstract is available in the online program:
https://aha.confex.com/aha/2016/webprogram/Session13356.html