Workshop: From printed archives to digital networks: the Plessner case

In recent years, libraries, archives and museums have sought to redefine their traditional archive descriptions. They have been embracing projects that focus on the publication of data, metadata and thesauri applying the “Linked Open Data” model. Datasets from various institutions are remodeled in order to let them ‘talk’ with each other: to connect catalogue descriptions, to identify or to fill in possible gaps in archive inventories, and to enhance their user interface and their search engine.

In the case of the Plessner archives, kept at the Special Collections Department of the University Library of Groningen, this could lead to a new approach to the data that is contained in this archive. The vast network of people with whom Helmuth Plessner corresponded can be related to the data on these people that is made available by other institutions. Thus, it is possible to highlight the role Plessner played as a ‘gatekeeper’ of knowledge between the Dutch and German academic communities, and the different disciplines in which he was active.

Speakers [the lectures will be held in Dutch]:

• prof. Thomas Widlok (University of Cologne)
• dr. David Veltman (University Library of Groningen)