History and Geography: Assessing the Role of Geographical Information in Historical Scholarship

FAIN: RZ-50063-03

Newberry Library (Chicago, IL 60610-3305)
James R. Akerman (Project Director: September 2002 to September 2006)

A conference, to be held at the Newberry Library, exploring the contributions that geo-spatial technologies such as geographic information systems (GIS) can make to historical scholarship. (12 months)

On 25-27 March 2004, the Newberry Library will convene a conference that will identify the themes, intellectual value, and issues of an emerging branch of historical scholarship that applies geo-spatial technologies such as geographic information systems (GIS) to the geographical questions that are increasingly interesting historians. The conference will bring together leading representatives of the various academic constituencies interested in the application of geo-spatial technologies to historical research: historians working in the traditions of the humanities and the social sciences, historical geographers, GIS experts, earth scientists, and historians of art and cartography. The conference will generate vigorous discussion about the many challenges historians face when attempting to use GIS and other geo-spatial technologies, and help its participants develop a better appreciation of the range and complexity of questions and methods being pursued under the rubrics of "spatial history" and "historical GIS."