Professor Diane H. Sonnenwald  will give a guest lecture on "Investigating Human-Rare Historic Book Interaction among Young Adults" on 24 May at 10-12 in Pinni B4115.

After the lecture there will be a research seminar on reading studies.

The guest lecture is open to everyone. If you want to participate in the seminar and present your research (2 ECTS), please contact Sanna Talja (sanna.k.talja at uta.fi).

Abstract. Rarebooks Using/Reading Studies: The goal of this research is to provide an in-depth understanding of human-rare historic book interaction to enhance the use of the classical works and to inspire for future technology. Research in human-rare book interaction helps in designing and developing physical-virtual renderings of rare books that provide integrated haptic, audio, olfactory, visual and cognitive human-rare book interaction for the public. Current research and technology can be categorized according to five characteristics: expected users, content and content management, navigation, presentation, and interaction control. A research investigating how young adults (novices) in northern Europe interacted with a rare historic books indicates that interaction engendered appreciation and curiosity. Interaction also had an affective impact, eliciting personal memories and emotions. Interacting only visually with books or their representations would not have afforded the same results.

Bio. Diane H. Sonnenwald is Emerita Full Professor of Information and Library Studies, University College Dublin. Her research focuses on collaboration, technology design and use, and information behaviour in a variety of contexts, including the digital humanities, police work, emergency healthcare, academia and industry. Diane has authored or co-authored over 80 scholarly publications and serves on the editorial boards of five journals. She has been awarded over 20 grants from national and international foundations, corporations, and funding agencies, including the National Science Foundation, National Institutes of Health, National Library of Medicine, and the European Science Foundation.