Sanita Reinsone
I am a humanities researcher (PhD) with a vivid interest in digital cultural heritage, participatory methods in digital humanities, oral narratives and autobiographical studies.
I am affiliated with the Institute of Literature, Folklore and Art of the University of Latvia where I work as a senior researcher. I teach at the Riga Technical University (master's programme in digital humanities) and the University of Latvia (PhD programme in cultural studies).
Updates
May 2023
This month has been filled with a few exciting events. First and foremost, I'm very delighted that my institute, ILFA, has officially become a cooperating partner of DARIAH. It has been quite a lengthy journey, but I couldn't be prouder of us to be the first institution from the Baltics to join this research infrastructure. Our ultimate goal, of course, is to ensure Latvia's full participation and integration into this vibrant scholarly network. Read ILFA's welcome article.
At the beginning of May, together with the Institute of Mathematics and Computer Science UL, the Latvian Open Technology Association, and the Latvian National Commission for UNESCO, we launched an ambitious crowdsourcing initiative called "Voice Task Force" (balsutalka.lv), aimed at collecting voice samples in the Latvian language. After extensive exploration, we chose to implement this project in collaboration with CommonVoice Mozilla. Within a week, we reached 100 hours of voice recordings. However, we won't stop there, as we plan to carry out an even broader communication campaign in June.
On another note, I'm absolutely thrilled to see the digitalhumanities.lv podcast series come to life. It has been a collaborative effort between ILFA and the National Library of Latvia, and it's finally here! The first episode, focusing on speech corpora, has been published, and we already have more exciting topics in the pipeline. Explore it on YouTube, Spotify and SoundCloud.
In mid-May, I had the privilege of hosting colleagues from the Norwegian Ethnological Research Centre at the Norwegian Museum of Cultural History. The visit was part of the Nordic Culture Point's funded project "Archives Community Building". Three productive and inspiring days were spent exchanging ideas and laying the groundwork for upcoming endeavours.
Last but certainly not least, registration for the 5th Baltic Summer School for Digital Humanities is now open! This year's theme revolves around digital literary research, promising an enriching experience for all participants. Whether you're a seasoned researcher or just starting your journey in the field, this summer school offers a fantastic opportunity to delve into the fascinating world of digital humanities. I encourage you to secure your spot early and join us for this intellectually stimulating event. More information on #BSSDH2023 here.
April 2023
In late April 2023, I had the privilege of visiting the European Parliament in Brussels. During the first day, alongside my colleague Normunds Grūzītis from IMCS UL, I participated in a podcast discussion on digital humanities, which was initiated by MEP Ivars Ījabs. It was a valuable opportunity to exchange ideas and insights on this ever-evolving field. The second day featured the digital humanities event, titled "Humanities in the Digital Age: Securing Innovation and Empowering Democracy". I had the honor of co-organizing this event with the STOA Panel, DARIAH, and CLARIN Boards. Additionally, I was delighted to serve as the chair for one of the sessions. Explore the booklet of the event!
January 2023
A thrilling start of 2023! The Science Council of Latvia has supported a new initiative to advance the digital humanities in Latvia — the DHELI project. As the project leader, I am honoured to be at the helm of this ambitious undertaking that will drive the field forward for the next three years.
