Special Interest Groups
Since SHOT's inception in 1958, members have formed special interest groups (SIGs) for the purpose of bringing together scholars and professionals with interests in specific fields of the history of technology. Read on for brief descriptions of active SIGs and contact information. Download Guidelines for SIG Awards and PrizesThe Albatrosses
The Albatrosses, as the name suggests, share a common interest in the technology of flight. They were formed by merger of informal interest groups in aeronautical history and space history, and accepted as a SHOT interest group in 1985. The Albatrosses sponsor meetings and sessions at the annual SHOT meeting. Membership is open to all SHOT members with similar interests. There are no dues. A newsletter is published quarterly. For information, contact Robert Ferguson, rob@furglu.com.Computers, Information & Society
The Special Interest Group on Computers, Information, and Society (SIGCIS) welcomes all with scholarly interests in the historical dimensions of information technology. Membership exceeds two hundred people worldwide and is open to all without charge, including those who are not members of SHOT. The SIG has established an email list (http://sigcis.org/pipermail/members/) for announcements, discussion and collaboration among those working in this field. Its website hosts a partial directory of members and their research interests (http://www.sigcis.org/?q=profile) and an extensive resource guide for the field (http://www.sigcis.org/?q=node/10).The SIG's activities and events (http://www.sigcis.org/?q=node/13) in recent years have included the organization of many conference sessions for meetings of SHOT, 4S, The Business History Conference and other academic conferences. The group hosts informal dinner meetings at these conferences and an official annual lunch session each year at SHOT's annual meeting. The lunch has been attended by around fifty people at recent meetings. It includes an auction of donated books and opportunities for fundraising, announcements, and the introduction of new members.
Projects for 2008 include the institution of an endowed annual book prize, creation of an online repository for history of computing syllabi, and enhancements to the SIG's website www.sigcis.org. From 2009 onward we hope to organize one day or half day workshops in conjunction with the annual meeting of SHOT.
To join the SIG, sign up online at http://www.sigcis.org/?q=user/register. After joining you will be able to create and update your own directory entry and send email directly to the list of members. For information on the SIG contact its chair, Thomas Haigh, at thaigh@computer.org or email its secretary, currently Joline Zepchevski, as secretary@sigcis.org.
Envirotech
Envirotech focuses on the interrelationship of technology and nature. Since the early 1990s, "nature and technology" have received greater attention in conference presentations, journals, and monographs by historians of technology and environmental historians. After talking with various colleagues at SHOT, ICOHTEC, and ASEH (American Society for Environmental History) conferences, Jim Williams (De Anza College, emeritus) and Sara Pritchard (Montana State University) agreed to organize a SIG for scholars and students interested in research on "nature and technology."Envirotech has established a listserv to facilitate communication among scholars interested in nature and technology, to connect members of the new SIG, and to help contribute to the exciting, growing body of literature on the topic. New subscribers are welcome. Just send an email to majordomo@lists.stanford.edu with the message SUBSCRIBE ENVIROTECH (nothing in the subject line). If you have difficulty, please email the listserv manager, Josh Howe, at jhowe@stanford.edu.
Envirotech meets semiannually at the conferences of SHOT and ASEH. We also award a prize for "best article," paid for by our modest dues of $5 and a matching gift from SHOT. Congratulations to Roger Horowitz and Sara Pritchard who each won the "best article" prize for the 2003-2005 cycle. We collect dues at business meetings, but you are welcome to contribute at any time; please contact treasurer Ann Greene, angreene@sas.upenn.edu.
Please see our Envirotech website and newsletters for more information. The most recent newsletter (Fall 2005) is available as a .pdf download at the website of editor Tim LeCain, http://www.montana.edu/tlecain/envirotech/envirotech.html, and back issues and other material may be found at the Envirotech website, http://www.envirotechweb.org/.
Contact the co-chairs: Hugh Gorman, hsgorman@mtu.edu, and Ann Greene, angreene@sas.upenn.edu.
The Jovians
The Jovians, established in 1972, share a common interest in the history of electrical technology. Membership is open to all SHOT members with similar interests. The Jovians sponsor a breakfast or luncheon meeting at the SHOT annual meeting, sponsor sessions at the annual meeting, and publish an occasional newsletter. There are no dues.For more information, contact the current chair, Jonathan Coopersmith, j-coopersmith@tamu.edu.
Labor and Work
The Labor and Work Special Interest Group was organized in 1992 to provide a common link for those members of the Society who have an interest in issues related to the very broad issues existing at the interface of work, workers, and technology. It is currently inactive. For information on reviving the group, contact Arwen Mohun, mohun@udel.edu.The Lynn White, jr., Society
The Lynn White, jr., Society was organized in 1992 to bring together members of the Society whose interests and research focus on the history of technology in the chronological period before the Industrial Revolution. The name honors the memory of prominent SHOT member, early president of the Society, and preeminent historian of technology and the Middle Ages. Those with interests in technology in the Middle Ages, Renaissance, and Early Modern period are invited to contact convener Kelly DeVries, Department of History, Loyola College, 4501 N. Charles St., Baltimore, MD 21210-2699.The Mercurians
The Mercurians began meeting in 1986 for the purpose of generating networks between people who share work and interests in the history of communication technologies, defining the field broadly. Our activities include publishing a semi-annual newsletter, Antenna, meeting annually at SHOT's conferences, organizing paper sessions for SHOT meetings, and pursuing contacts between meetings. Antenna serves both as a clearing house for readers and an informal forum for their ideas. We welcome contributions, including notices and queries about Mercurians' projects as well as short essays on their work. Antenna includes book reviews and other materials about conferences, museums, publications, archives, funding, and other pertinent materials. All interested persons are welcome at Mercurians' meetings. The fee to receive Antenna is $5.00 for a two year period if mailed to the U.S., and $10.00 elsewhere (including Canada and Mexico). Please make your check out to SHOT, specifying Mercurians on the memo line.For additional information, or to join, contact Andrew J. Butrica, P.O. Box 30223, Bethesda MD 20824-0223, USA, mercurians@earthlink.net. The Mercurians website can be found at http://www.mercurians.org.