II. Revaluing mimeographs and other obsolete things: an introduction to media archaeology

Abstract

Dr. Hawley is an historian of technology and special collections professional whose scholarship focuses on the relationship of technological change to marginalized producers and communities. A specialist in historical printing and the social history of technology, she will introduce the interdisciplinary approaches employed by media archaeologists, especially those examining obsolete or “failed” technologies. Using forensic analysis, Hawley will explore the importance of reconstructing evidence about how less powerful social groups communicated and advanced their aims. Historical collections in libraries bring together past media with present and emerging technologies, offering an exceptional opportunity for interdisciplinary scholarship. She will discuss how knowledge of older technologies and the uses to which they were put comprises an important aspect of special collections practice and opens new avenues for education, engagement and scholarship.