Global History Hackathons: Doing Global History through Local Archives and Museum Collections

What happens when you take a format more commonly associated with computer science and technology—the hackathon—and apply it to historical thinking and design in global history, using unique library, archive, and museum collections?

Engaging small groups of students, academics, custodians, heritage professionals, and members of the public in "global history hackathons," this project is uncovering Glasgow's "local" global histories and finding ways to make them relevant and accessible to wider publics.

See more information about how the Hackathons work

Project team

  • Hannah-Louise Clark, lecturer in Global Economic and Social History, University of Glasgow (PI)
  • Sarah Gambell, doctoral candidate in Information Studies, University of Glasgow (PGR intern)
  • Rachel Rowan, doctoral candidate in Economic and Social History, University of Glasgow (PGR intern)
  • Maria Economou, professor of Digital Cultural Heritage
  • Franziska Mucha, doctoral candidate and Marie Curie Fellow/POEM, Information Studies, University of Glasgow
  • Moira Rankin, senior archivist, University of Glasgow
  • Lola Sanchez-Jauregui, William Hunter Tercentenary Curator
  • Benjamin Thomas White, lecturer in History, University of Glasgow
  • Jelmer Vos, History, lecturer in Global History, University of Glasgow

Project dates

January to July 2019

Funder

Learning and Teaching Development Fund (£3000)

Publications

Hannah-Louise Clark, Sarah Gambell, Franziska Mucha, Robert MacLean, Moira Rankin, Rachel Rowan, Global History Hackathon Playbook 1.1. Practical guidance for hosting a hackathon for the arts, humanities, and social sciences (2019)

Sarah Gambell, "Examining Humans and Animals in Museum Displays"

Sarah Gambell, "Bugs, Bullets, and Brains," Heritage Blog

Rachel Rowan, "From Textiles to Tea," University of Glasgow Library Blog

Rachel Rowan, "Old Things, Urgent Narratives"

Associated events

28 February 2019: "From Textiles to Tea: Global History Hacking the James Finlay & Co Ltd Collection"

14 April 2019: "Bugs, Bullets and Brains: Global History Hacking the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow"

25 April 2019: "Global History Hackathons,” presentation for Archive Inspirations: Using New Technologies to Exploit Archive Collections, jointly organised by JISC and Scottish Universities Special Collections and Archive Group

16 April 2019: "Old Things, Urgent Narratives: Global History Hacking the Glasgow Museums Resource Centre"

14 May 2019: "Examining Humans and Animals on Display: Global History Hacking the Hunterian Museum"

3 June 2019: Belgian Refugee Workshop, Mitchell Library

8 June 2019: "Glasgow Global Business History Case Studies" hackathon, Scottish Business Archive

11 June 2019: "Global History Hackathons Round-up"

25 June 2019: "What We Threw Away: Scotland's Waste, Past and Present"

26 June 2019: Global History Hackathon, Widening Participation Summer School

28 June 2019: "Sugar Machines: Connected Research in Sugar Consumption and Production in Scotland and the West Indies"

27 August 2019: "Global Business History Hackathon: Crisis, Resilience, and Risk Management in the John Lean & Sons Records"

Events