The Texas Conferences on Digital Libraries convened in-person May 21-23, 2024 at the Commons Conference Center in Austin, Texas. The conference brought together over 160 librarians, archivists, technologists, students, and information professionals to share their latest endeavors, inspire each other with pioneering projects and ideas, and reignite the passion that propels their work in libraries and archives. All of us at Texas Digital Library found this year’s conference re-energizing and illuminating in the creativity brought to our conference program.
You can access the conference proceedings in TDL’s DSpace repository here.
The theme of the 2024 conference, Reigniting Curiosity, invited attendees to collectively rediscover the spark that drives us forward. In a world that demands adaptation and innovation, it’s essential to nurture our curiosity, since curiosity is what fuels creativity, exploration, and discovery.
Read more to relive a few highlights of this year’s conference, and thank you for joining us at TCDL 2024!
Featured Speakers
Program Director for Public Knowledge at the Mellon Foundation, Dr. Patricia Hswe, opened the conference with a keynote address entitled “Reigniting to Reimagine: Memory Work, Stewardship, and Social Justice.” Dr. Hswe challenged attendees to consider Public Knowledge as the the work that ensures that “knowledge access and production are treated as public and social goods: that is, goods in the public interest for purposes that matter to them, such as learning, justice, self-determination, and memory-keeping.”
You can learn more about Dr. Hswe here.
Executive Director of the Texas After Violence Project, Gabriel Solís, closed this year’s conference as the featured speaker for the “New Voices in Digital Preservation” presentation. Sponsored by Portico, the presentation was designed to provide a fresh perspective on the challenges of and strategies for digital preservation of unique digital materials. Gabriel shared the goals, practices, and strategies of the Texas After Violence Project. He noted, “the most important archives” are “the labors of love by ordinary people who understand the urgency of preserving the cultural memory of violence, resistance, and survival.”
You can learn more about Gabriel here.
Honoring Awards Recipients
The TCDL Opening Plenary was also a time to honor and recognize recipients of the 2024 TDL Awards. These awards honor Texas-based individuals and groups that have made outstanding contributions to the advancement of digital libraries.
Learn more about the 2024 TDL Awards Recipients here.
Gratitude for Our Sponsors
The Texas Conference on Digital Libraries was generously supported by our sponsors AM Quartex, Paperboy Digital Consulting, EBSCO, Portico, UT iSchool, and Library Juice Academy.
We are also grateful to TDL’s institutional members, whose membership underwrites and plans conference programming.
Thank You
TDL is grateful to all of the volunteers, attendees, and speakers who made TCDL 2024 a success. A special thank you to the TCDL Planning Committee for their dedication and time in working on the conference throughout the year.
Stay tuned for future announcements about TCDL 2025! Connect with Texas Digital Library so you never miss a TCDL update!
TCDL 2024 Planning Committee
- Chair: Diane Lopez, University of Texas at San Antonio
- Vice-Chair: Heidi Winkler, Texas Tech University
- Ian Barba, Texas Tech University
- Susan Elkins, Sam Houston State University
- Karina Franco, University of Texas at San Antonio
- Ginger Garza, Texas Woman’s University
- Paloma Graciani Picardo, University of Texas at Austin
- Meagan Hernandez, Texas Digital Library
- Ke’ara Hunt, Texas Digital Library
- Sylvia Jones, Southern Methodist University
- Colleen Lyon, University of Texas at Austin
- Tom Lyons, University of North Texas Health Science Center
- Marcia McIntosh, University of North Texas
- Courtney Mumma, Texas Digital Library
- Kristi Park, Texas Digital Library
- Joseph Pruett, Angelo State University
- Phebe Raglin, Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi
- Jane Scott, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center
- Adrian Shapiro, Texas Woman’s University
- Jeremy Thompson, University of Texas at Austin