Kenneth Roemer speaks at the launch party of the digital project Covers, Titles and Tables on Nov. 18 in the sixth floor atrium of the Central Library. Roemer acted as project director, working on it for about 25 years.
With more than 30 collaborators on a project about 25 years in the making, English professor emeritus Ken Roemer and the UTA Libraries have launched Covers, Titles and Tables: The Formations of American Literary Canons in Anthologies, a digital archive housing American literary documents.
The project was officially launched at the Central Library’s sixth floor atrium Tuesday afternoon. Roemer gave remarks, followed by a Q&A session and a presentation from Jessica McClean, director of Open Educational Resources and Digital Scholarship.
The project has collected approximately 3,000 searchable pages that suggest how editorial decisions have shaped American literary canons over time, according to a release.
Audience members clap during the launch of the digital project Covers, Titles and Tables on Nov. 18 in the Central Library. The launch party took place in the sixth floor atrium of the library.
Roemer said the pages showcase American literary histories as far back as 1829 surrounded by academic scholarship from 1900 to close to the present.
“I think this is the type of information that other academics and students need to know to pass on to the next generation,” he said. “It’s really all about passing American literature and American culture on to the next generation.”
The literary canon is part of a larger canon consisting of the most important, influential or definitive works in art, literature, music and philosophy, according to TCK Publishing. As time has changed, so has the canon of American literature.
Andrew Leverenz, senior web developer for UTA Libraries, comments on the success of the project Covers, Titles and Tables on Nov. 18 in the sixth floor atrium of the Central Library. Leverenz has held the position of senior web developer since 2015.
The project will be continually updated as time goes on. Roemer said that while the archive has important covers, he’s prioritizing getting more.
He said that some covers are copyrighted, which can make it difficult to add them to the project.
Researchers have already begun using the database throughout the world, including in countries like Brazil, China and Singapore.
Kenneth Roemer speaks with guests during the Covers, Titles and Tables launch party Nov. 18 in the sixth floor atrium of the Central Library. Roemer is an emeritus professor.
“I’ve been told by other people that teachers often use it at the beginning of the course to show the different viewpoints,” Roemer said.
With the project fully launched and being used by researchers, Roemer said the most enjoyable part of the project over the past 25 years has been working on it with all the people who have been involved.
“It’s worth being persistent,” he said.
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