I'm going to THAT Camp!

I am very excited to announce (here, at least- already announced on Twitter) that I will be attending the Center for History and New Media‘s unconference THAT Camp. Here’s the quick blurb, from the website:

Short for “The Humanities and Technology Camp”, THATCamp is a BarCamp-style, user-generated “unconference” on digital humanities. THATCamp is organized and hosted by the Center for History and New Media at George Mason University, Digital Campus, and THATPodcast.

I have been listening to Digital Campus for a while (since the 2nd episode, I think) and am, of course, a big fan of Zotero, so I’m thrilled to go to George Mason and hang with a bunch of super smart people. I’m hoping the smart will rub off a little on me.

I’m full of ideas for the unconference, but nothing concrete is forming in my brain yet. Luckily, THAT Camp will be after I have finished my spring semester but before I start my summer semester, so I will have some time to collect my thoughts, do a little research, and maybe make some more research LOL cats, just for fun.

This will be the first conference/event I have gone to that is directly related to digital humanities (I have been to library conferences), and I am looking forward to talking about DH things with people outside of work.

I am also excited to be heading back to Washington D.C., though the only time I have to visit museums will be Friday after my plane gets in at 11ish. I’ll be running over to the National Gallery of Art as soon as the plane lands. Last time I did my whirlwind tour of the national mall museums, I didn’t get to spend much time in the NGA. Though I won’t be able to make it this trip (I tried to fly out later Monday night, but it didn’t work out) I WILL see the National Building Museum someday. (Jenny Levine has recommended this to me at least twice, so I must see it!)

On another note, if anyone knows of a cheap place to stay in/near Fairfax or has a couch I can crash on for the nights of May 30, May 31, and June 1, let me know. Alternately, if anyone else is going and wants to share a room, let me know. I can get a hotel, but I’m trying to save money where possible. :)