Event Recap: ACH 2026 Mid-Atlantic Regional Hub at Penn
In June 2026, Penn Libraries hosted a free, in-person supplementary Regional Hub for the virtual Association for Computers and the Humanities (ACH) 2026 conference, bringing together digital humanities scholars across the Mid-Atlantic region.
Each year, the Association for Computers and the Humanities (ACH) hosts its annual conference bringing together scholars, practitioners, and students who work at the intersection of technology and the humanities. Research Data & Digital Scholarship (RDDS) was proud to contribute to the virtual conference this year by hosting a free, in-person Mid-Atlantic Regional Hub at Penn Libraries on June 24–26.
One of six regional hubs serving the conference, the Mid-Atlantic hub sought to expand the network of digital humanities work beyond the main virtual conference in a collaborative way that would highlight work being done in our local context. We screened all of the virtual conference presentations for attendees to watch together in spaces in Van Pelt Library. In addition, the regional hub featured three in-person programs to complement the conference: 1) a DH happy hour; 2) a lightning-talks session; and 3) a #DHMakes space with zine- and collage-making materials, a button-maker, a selection of tech-related zines, and a showcase of #DHMakes projects made by members of the Penn community.
Altogether, we welcomed 38 attendees from all around the Mid-Atlantic region, bringing together a community of folks active or interested in digital scholarship and humanities-informed critical tech. This year’s conference theme was “emergence/ia,” exploring “how we create and collaborate through moments of exigency.” We hope that, in keeping with this theme, this event will strengthen regional ties and pave the way for more opportunities to meet in generative community.
The Mid-Atlantic Regional Hub would not have been possible without the generous contributions of the planning committee, which included not only Penn staff but colleagues from our regional partner institutions including Temple University, Princeton University, and Rutgers University. Many thanks to Adrianna Bugliarello-Wondrich, Sarah Reiff Conell, Matthew Hunter, Shayne McGregor, Dot Porter, Matt Shoemaker, Stewart Varner, and Grant Wythoff!
To learn more about or join the Association for Computers and the Humanities, visit the ACH website. To keep abreast of upcoming research data and digital scholarship events at Penn, subscribe to the RDDS newsletter. We hope to see you soon!