Dr. Yuerong Hu, Assistant Professor in the Department of Information and Library Science (ILS), was awarded a SHARP Lightening Seed Grant. These grants are awarded annually to members of The Society for the History of Authorship, Reading, and Publishing (SHARP) to support events or activities that advance global book history studies.
“I am very honored to receive this grant,” said Hu, “and I sincerely appreciate the support for my research from SHARP.”
Hu will use this grant to organize a hybrid panel for interdisciplinary scholars to explore how Internet data can be leveraged to study contemporary print and digital book cultures. This initiative aligns closely with her current research. “I have been fascinated with the sociotechnical complexities and cultural nuances of online book review data, such as textual reviews, book ratings, and BookTok content,” she explained.
Hu is currently collaborating with students and faculty in the Luddy School to focus on emerging practices in online book reviewing, like influencer marketing and backlash activities, such as reviewing bombing and boycotts. Hu and her collaborators have used a diverse range of methods, including large language models and qualitative analysis of consent, to better understand why and how stakeholders engage in these activities.
“I hope my research on online book reviewing can help researchers, library science professionals as well as everyday readers make more critical and insightful use of such datasets,” she said.
This grant represents an exciting opportunity for Hu, and she said it has given her the chance to envision new Book History research opportunities enabled by Internet data, identify critical challenges and their potential mitigations, and foster interdisciplinary collaborations.