By Hunter Zbarsky, Libraries Communications Intern
What started as a small conference in Gainesville has grown into an international academic symposium, connecting scholars across the globe and led to three University of Florida librarians being recognized for their innovation and commitment.
In 2024 and 2025, Melissa Jerome, Hélène Huet and Sarah Tew of the UF Libraries received an internal Employee Excellence Award for Outreach for founding the Latin American & Caribbean Digital Humanities Symposium, a conference that has become a space of collaboration and place to display research and work done in the field.
Beginning in 2023, the symposium provides a space for scholars, community leaders and even students to present their research and build connections in Latin American and Caribbean digital humanities across the United States, Latin America and the Caribbean. The event fills a gap that the librarians noticed was missing when it comes to sharing work and having a platform to connect.
The idea came to life when Jerome and Tew attended a Digital Projects Showcase at the University of North Florida in 2022. At the event, they met colleagues working in Latin American and Caribbean digital humanities and realized there wasn’t a space for people to share their work. They decided to start a conference that would not only bring together researchers across the United States, but Latin America and the Caribbean as well.
Soon after, they partnered with Huet, who brought leadership and experience to the team. Together, the three became the UF organizing committee for the Latin American and Caribbean Digital Humanities Symposium. The goal was to give access to anyone who wanted to share their work at the intersections of digital humanities and Latin American/Caribbean Studies.
“From the very first conference, we’ve always had it be free,” Huet said. “That was very important to us to have it be free, so that the conference would be accessible to anyone.”
That commitment has remained a defining feature throughout the years of the symposium. By eliminating registration costs, the team has opened the door to include a broader group of participants, including students and scholars who may not have the financial means to attend the conference or are already paying for travel costs.
The team also focused on flexibility and access by including a way to attend or present virtually.
“We’ve always made sure to have a virtual component alongside the in-person event, and we’re going to do that again this year,” Huet said.
The inaugural symposium in 2023 brought 54 attendees together for a full-day event in Gainesville. Just one year later, the event expanded into a three-day conference hosted in Quito, Ecuador, bringing in more than 90 participants both in person and online.
“To go from a conference with 50 people, to then going to Ecuador and San Juan last year, it’s like an explosion,” Tew said. “I think it’s because people are really hungry. We met a need.”
Through partnerships with institutions such as the University of North Florida, the Universidad de San Francisco de Quito, the University of Puerto Rico Río Piedras and the University of Texas at San Antonio, the symposium has continued to expand its reach across the Americas.
“Even though we are not the annual host institution, we still are the main organizers of the conference, and there is a lot that goes into it,” Huet said.
Much of that work might not be the most exciting, but it begins months in advance to make sure the symposium is ready.
“It is not always the most interesting work, like sending emails and spreadsheets and registration, but it’s really important work that needs to be done,” Huet said.
Despite operating with limited budgets, the organizers have successfully sustained the symposium by relying on institutional resources and strategic partnerships.
“We rely on library resources institutionally,” Tew said. “Our Zoom account, our ability to produce LibGuides and a web presence, physical event space.”
They also secured external funding to support aspects such as food, printing and speaker travel, allowing them to maintain free registration – which means so much to them. In addition to financial accessibility, the symposium has set itself apart through its commitment to accepting works in multiple different languages.
The organizers have worked to create a multilingual environment that reflects the diversity of its participants. Conference abstracts are translated and published online in both English and Spanish. On top of English and Spanish, entries are also accepted in French and Portuguese.
“It means that much more because I am also Hispanic,” Jerome said. “I appreciate the fact that everyone is welcoming. When you connect with these folks in person, it’s almost like your instant family.”
Additionally, for Tew, the relationships built through the symposium have been equally meaningful.
“I love working with my colleagues;, it has been a great experience,” she said. “I have loved connecting with so many other people interested in the same topics as I am.”
As the symposium continues to grow, so does its impact on the University of Florida. The Libraries have helped the University increase their role as leaders in Latin American and Caribbean research. Their work earned a division-level Superior Accomplishment Award from UF in 2026.
The trio of librarians are already preparing for the 2026 conference at the University of Texas at San Antonio and aim to continue to build on the success they have built in their last three years.
“There is this hunger for a sense of community,” Huet said. “It has been so wonderful to be able to provide that to the community and be there to witness it in real time.”
