ISAW Scholarly Communications Practicum 2025-2026 Report

Over the past nine months I participated in the ISAW Scholarly Communications and Digital Publications Practicum. During that time I worked with the ISAW Library team on several different kinds of projects, including digital publication, copyediting, data curation, and event support. The practicum was useful because it gave me a closer look at the work that happens behind the scenes in academic publishing and library projects. Books, websites, bibliographies, events, and datasets do not simply appear fully formed. They depend on planning, editing, organizing information, checking details, and working as part of a team. For students in fields like archaeology and ancient studies, these are important skills. Research is not only about producing ideas; it is also about making sure that information can be preserved, shared, and used by others. 

One of the first things I learned came from participating in library meetings. By observing how the team discussed projects, assigned tasks, and managed deadlines, I gained a better understanding of how effective teamwork happens in a professional academic setting. This was especially useful for me because many of the same skills apply to archaeological fieldwork. In fact, I have started adapting parts of the library’s workflow system for use in the Lyktos Archaeological Project this summer. 

My first major task was copyediting Graffiti from the Basilica in the Agora of Smyrna and helping turn it into a fully digitized book. This was more complicated than a basic digitization project. I worked with the book’s sections as XHTML files and converted them into QMD files, which were then used to create an interactive website. This task taught me a lot about how different file types work and how much attention to detail digital publication requires. Formatting, spacing, structure, and coding all had to be checked carefully. Since XHTML and QMD work differently, I had to learn how to move content from one format to another without losing important details. This improved my coding skills and gave me a better sense of both the possibilities and the limitations of digital publishing. 

I also employed Copilot AI in VS Code to help debug code. This was useful, but it also showed me that AI cannot replace careful human checking. It can help with certain problems, but it can also miss mistakes or create new ones. If those mistakes are not caught early, they can take a long time to fix. Because of this, the task helped me understand how AI can be useful while still requiring close supervision. 

Another major part of the practicum involved data curation for ISAW Library projects. This included work on course listings, institutional bibliography, and past publications, especially in preparation for ISAW’s twentieth-year celebration. Much of this work involved creating, editing, and organizing Excel spreadsheets. It required patience and attention to detail, especially when some of the information had to be located before it could be entered or organized. 

This part of the practicum helped me improve the way I think about data and file management. It also made me more comfortable working with Excel. These skills have already helped me in my own research. For example, they partly inspired me to create a database for a paper I wrote in Fall 2025, which later became a presentation for the ISAW-LMU workshop. 

I also helped with several library events. These tasks were not as technical as the digital publication or data curation work, but they helped me develop other skills, particularly those around marketing. Events often require quick organization, flexibility, and good communication. Since many of these tasks involved interacting with people, they also helped me become more comfortable in public-facing roles and deepened my appreciation of the role of marketing in scholarly communications projects

The most challenging of these experiences was helping manage the ISAW bookstall at AIA/SCS 2026. This was intimidating at first because it was a large conference and because public-facing work was not something I had much experience with. With the guidance of my supervisor, Patrick J. Burns, I became more comfortable in the role. I learned more about what it means to represent an academic institution at a major conference, how to speak with visitors, and how to present both a department and myself in a professional setting. 

Overall, the ISAW Scholarly Communications and Digital Publications Practicum was a very useful experience. It helped me build skills in digital publication, copyediting, coding, workflow management, data curation, event support, and public communication. It also showed me how much work goes into making scholarship organized, accessible, and usable. 

For me, one of the most important parts of the practicum was seeing how these skills connect to archaeology. Managing data, organizing workflows, working in teams, and communicating clearly are all important in the field as well as in the library. I am grateful for the opportunity to have worked with the ISAW Library team, and I look forward to applying what I learned in my future academic work and archaeological fieldwork.