Bio

Kate graduated from the University of Michigan with an MLIS in 1999. She worked for two years at the Library of Congress as part of the National Digital Library where she helped create the first international digital collection, Meeting of Frontiers.  In 2001, she was hired as a Research and Instruction Librarian at the University of South Carolina.  In 2004, she helped establish and managed the Digital Collections Department, making rare and special library materials available online. In 2007, she was a founding member of the South Carolina Digital Library, a state-wide consortium.  In 2019, she helped establish the Digital Research Services and Collections Department (DRSC) for the Libraries.

As Director of DRSC, she works with the Research Data Librarian, Data Visualization Librarian, AI/Data Science Specialist, and Digital Collections Librarian to assist USC faculty, staff, and students with their research needs. With support from the Humanities Collaborative, she also leads the Digital Humanities Working Group.

Support for Research

Kate can assist with

• Scoping and designing a digital project for research or a class
• Discussing the needs and parameters of a text analysis project
• Directing a researcher to the most applicable librarian to assist with your needs

Selected Grant Projects Awarded

• “On the Books: Mining Jim Crow Laws in South Carolina,” Sub-awarded by UNC Chapel Hill and Mellon Foundation. August 1, 2022 – November 30, 2024. Role: Co-PI: Lance Dupre and Dr. Bobby Donaldson.
• “Underrepresented Perspectives in South Carolina Newspapers,” Awarded by National Endowment for the Humanities National Digital Newspaper Program. September 2022 - August 2024. Role: Co-PI with Craig Keeney, and Edward Blessing.
• “New Insights in the American Civil Rights Movement: National Interracial Activism in the South Carolina Council on Human Relations (SCCHR) Papers” Awarded by Council on Library Information Resources Hidden Collections. March 2020-2024. Co-PI with Graham Duncan and Dr. Bobby Donaldson.
• “Partnering to Create Document Based Questions with Digital Collections” Awarded by National Historic Publications and Records Commission (NHPRC) Literacy and Engagement. July 1, 2016- 2019. Role: Co-PI with SC Department of Education Social Studies Coordinators.
• “South Carolina Encyclopedia and Digital Library Come Together Online,” Awarded by SC State Library LSTA and Institute of Museum and Library Services. 2016. Role: PI.
• “SC Digital Newspaper Program.” Awarded by National Endowment for the Humanities National Digital Newspaper Program. July 2009 – August 2015. Role: Co-PI with Craig Keeney.
• “South Carolina Digital Library: Ongoing Initiative,” SC State Library LSTA and Institute of Museum and Library Services. 2011 – 2015. Role: PI.

Selected Publications

• Winchester, S., Freeman, A., and Boyd, K. (2021) From the Ground Up: Building a Digital Scholarship Program at the University of South Carolina, South Carolina Libraries: Vol. 5: Iss. 1, Article 5. DOI: https://doi.org/10.51221/suc.scl.2021.5.1.5
• Boyd, K.,Vinson, C. , and Gilbert, H. (2016) The South Carolina Digital Library (SCDL): What is it and where is it going? South Carolina Libraries. Vol. 2: Iss.1., Article 3. http://scholarcommons.sc.edu/scl_journal/vol2/iss1/3/
• Vinson, C. G., & Boyd, K. F. (2008). Cracking the Egg: The South Carolina Digital Library’s New Perspective. Journal of Electronic Resources Librarianship, Vol. 20: 2, 117–128. https://doi.org/10.1080/19411260802298144
• Boyd, K. and King, D. (2006), South Carolina goes digital: The creation and development of the University of South Carolina's Digital Activities Department, OCLC Systems & Services: International digital library perspectives, Vol. 22 No. 3, 179-191.  https://doi.org/10.1108/10650750610686757
• Boyd, Kate and Alma Creighton. (2006) Building a Digital Library on a Shoe String.” Computers in Libraries. June 2006. 26:6, p 14-20.