As a digital humanities librarian, I aim to increase student engagement with digital tools and methods while also enhancing the visibility of library collections through compelling online exhibits. However, much of my instruction takes place within the constraints of academic coursework, where time limitations and competing priorities often prevent students from seeing digital projects through to completion. To address this challenge, I developed a scalable model for student-led digital humanities work outside the classroom. In this model, I serve as project manager for a digital exhibit centered on a collection from the Herskovits Library of African Studies at Northwestern University. I hired two student workers with different skillsets, one in computer science and one in art history, to form a project team responsible for curating content and building the exhibit site. By managing the project through structured workflows and task breakdowns, I was able to accommodate students' limited work hours while maintaining momentum and quality. The result was a collaborative, interdisciplinary experience that provided students with hands-on training in digital humanities tools such as ArcGIS, GitHub, and Canopy, as well as exposure to metadata standards and user experience design. Students also worked closely with faculty, curators, and developers, gaining valuable insight into library collections and digital scholarship. The final product, An American's Africa, is a completed digital exhibit that adds historical context and interpretive reflection to archival materials. This poster shares the structure, outcomes, and lessons learned from this project, offering a replicable model for libraries seeking to foster meaningful student engagement in digital humanities work. It will be of interest to librarians, educators, and DH practitioners looking for sustainable ways to integrate student labor, library collections, and digital scholarship. Here is a link to the completed project site: https://nulib-ds.github.io/AnAmericansAfrica/
Basia Kapolka (Mon,) studied this question.