Digital Humanities at the Sourasky Central Library

The field of Digital Humanities has evolved, and in some cases, even redefining, traditional research of various subjects, resources, and methodologies using scientific techniques and tools. This research field combines traditional humanities and social sciences queries and research methods with digital tools

 

Opening Hours Our Mission
At the Sourasky Central Library we offer support and resources for Tel Aviv University researchers and students who wish to use computer-based technologies to answer research questions related to the humanities and arts.

 

Opening Hours Guiding Rules

  • Providing guidance, tutorials, and seminars to develop DH skills for conducting research and teaching.

  • Preferring Open Source software tools, making research products easily accessible, and preserving the data after the research has been completed (or financial resources have run out).

  • Providing support and advice in writing research proposals that include the use of digital tools, from the stage of writing the proposal to the implementation stage.

  • Focusing on four major tools: Converting images to text (OCR), Spatial analysis (GIS), Distant Reading (DR), Content Management Systems (CMS).

 

Opening Hours Our Services for the Tel-Aviv University Community

  • OCR Services are offered via a designated online form (The service is only provided to the Tel-Aviv University students and staff members) and will be fulfilled within our work schedule.

  • Practical workshops are given on useful tools covering various aspects of the DH field. We publish (occasionally) workshops, that are open to the Tel-Aviv University Community. In addition, a customized workshop can be request for a specific class.

  • Personal guidance for the Tel-Aviv University Community – "One on one" 1-hour session. When needed, a second 1-hour guidance session can be requested (both sessions are free of charge). If an additional (3rd, 4th, etc.) session is needed – each additional one would cost Academic staff members 300 NIS.

Photograph of a book.

 

Opening Hours What is Distant Reading?

In his 2000 article "Conjectures on World Literature," Prof. Franco Moretti introduced the concept of Distant Reading, which is considered a groundbreaking approach to understanding the vast corpus of world literature. Unlike traditional text analysis methods, which involve Close Reading of a small number of texts, Moretti proposed focusing on units that can be smaller or larger than the text itself (such as Devices, Themes, Tropes, Genres, and Systems) and skipping direct reading of the text. According to Moretti, distance is an essential condition for knowledge. He argues that only by using Distant Reading to analyze a large corpus of literary works can we truly understand the complexity of world literature.

 

 

Opening Hours Distant Reading and DH

In his original article, Moretti did not specifically mention computer-related technology. However, over time, the term "Distant Reading" he coined has come to be associated with the use of computational tools for textual analysis.

These tools allow for the automatic analysis of texts, such as creating a concordance or identifying repetitive linguistic patterns. Additionally, they allow for the incorporation of subjective and interpretive elements through manual tagging and annotation, creating a blend of manual and automatic forms of textual analysis.

 


Opening Hours Distant Reading tools

  • CATMA is a powerful and versatile program for computational text research, originally developed at the University of Hamburg. The web-based program supports multiple languages, including Hebrew, and offers various automatic analysis methods such as concordance, KWIC (displaying words according to their context), and graph visualization. Additionally, CATMA's advanced tagging system allows for manual annotation of text, providing a more in-depth analysis. To help users get started, our Reference and Guidance Department offers regular workshops on CATMA for beginners. With CATMA, you can unlock new insights from your text data and take your research to the next level.
  • The library is also subscribed to Gale's Digital Scholar Lab services, a premier academic publisher of primary sources. This lab provides access to a wide range of text analysis tools, from Topic Modelling to Sentiment Analysis, which can be applied to corpus based on Gale's databases (such as all issues of 'The London Times') or researcher-created corpus. With the Digital Scholar Lab, you can easily analyze large amounts of text data, uncover new patterns and relationships, and gain new perspectives on your research.


For more information: Main Entrance Hall | cenlib@tauex.tau.ac.il | 03-6404823