Julie A Hofmann
Candidate Statement
I have been involved with H-net as a subscriber and contributer to several lists, most notably H-Teach and H-World, since 2003. Since then, I have also served as a reviewer for H-German and have been one of the List Editors for H-Teach since 2005. I had not thought to throw my hat into the ring this time around, but the "whither H-Net" conversations over the past serveral months have convinced me that I might have something of value to offer.
Since I have been a member of H-Net, I have seen activity on several lists wax and wane, so I'm not particularly pessimistic about H-Net's future on the Listserv front. Having said that, I think that we do need to consider whether alternate formats of presentation and alternate types of access to the lists and reviews might be in order. I have had my own pseudonymous blog for the past five years, and have experimented with blogs and discussion boards in many of my classes. This year I will be giving my second presentation on weblogs and academia at a major conference, this time focusing on how academics use alternate technologies to form professional networks, share teaching strategies, etc. I am not advocating changing H-Net to a blog format, but I do think I can offer a great deal of experience to the conversation as a member of H-Net Council.
The second reason for my candidacy is also related to H-Net's growth and ability to adapt to that growth. One of the benefits of reviewing for H-Net is that the reviews used to come out in a timely manner, frequently before the print reviews appeared. Our reviews have become much more popular, yet most of us know that there is a huge backlog. As an H-Net Council member, I hope to help develop and implement solutions that will allow H-Net to retain its reputation as a publisher of high-quality academic reviews. I am concerned that, if we continue to push the review system aside, we will lose our currency with some of our reviewers. We must find a way to serve our readers and those who write the reviews; otherwise, we will have squandered one of H-Net's primary attractions.
I would like to have the opportunity to serve H-Net's members on the Council and to do my part to maintain the bet things about H-Net while also helping to address ways of adapting it for a more promising future. Thank you.
Julie A. Hofmann
Assistant Professor of History
Shenandoah University
1460 University Drive
Winchester, VA 22601
(540) 665-4792
