Digital culture and information: A library-based minor focusing on how modern information access impacts society

Abstract

In the fall of 2018, the Washington and Lee University Library launched an interdisciplinary minor called Digital Culture and Information (DCI) that aims to fill a curricular gap between how information exists and how it is used. Built from a successful campus-wide digital humanities initiative, DCI challenges students to become more highly literate consumers and creators of information through coursework focusing on data analysis, website development, and the impact of electronic communication on society. This poster presents the summation of an exploratory summer sabbatical project that conducted a content analysis on similar programs worldwide. Interviews with several program leaders and coordinators followed offering an in-depth look at their programs' history, successes, and issues. The research looks at how our minor differs from others including the uniqueness of it being housed in the library and how our program can grow.