On Teaching XQuery to Digital Humanists

Abstract

XQuery provides an excellent means for teaching programming to digital humanists because it works seamlessly with their existing XML data, has an elegant and simple core with a well-structured standard library, and can be used in conjunction with XML databases to develop end-to-end web applications. However, current teaching materials for XQuery do not address the needs of digital humanists, presupposing implicit knowledge of programming concepts that they frequently lack. Based on experience teaching XQuery to digital humanists (including alt-ac professionals, archivists, faculty members, graduate students, and librarians) in three distinct settings: a weekly training session for librarians, a graduate seminar on digital humanities, and a two week NEH- supported Institute for Advanced Topics in Digital Humanities, I suggest how the XML community might develop resources to widen the appeal and accessibility of XQuery.