Beyond the digital humanities centre: the administrative landscapes of the digital humanities

Administrative and financial infrastructures are fundamental to determining the scale and structure of work in the digital humanities. This chapter considers the way in which much work in the digital humanities has been based around the development of digital humanities centers. It reviews the ways in which these centers have developed and analyses their strengths and weaknesses as an organizational unit. Some alternative models are also reviewed. While the digital humanities center has been very successful in promoting the first wave of digital humanities, it is argued that fundamental weaknesses are apparent, particularly in terms of financial sustainability and provision of career development for staff. Criticisms by Dianne Zorich, Peter Robinson and others that digital humanities centers create small-scale resources and act as digital silos are discussed. It is suggested that in the future it will be necessary to develop integrated and linked research infrastructures, based around and building on the existing centers