Garin Fahlman

English master's student in the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences

Tell us a little about yourself, including what inspires you to learn and continue in your chosen field

I have always loved storytelling. Before I came to SFU, my background was working in journalism, but after doing my Bachelor's in English here, I realized that in a lot of ways, reading a Penguin classic is a lot like conducting an interview. In both cases, the goal is to better understand a story, but it's not always clear what that story actually is, and it's never the one written about on the back cover. To find out, a lot of questions have to be asked. I think asking questions is my role as a grad student, and that's what's been so exciting about SFU: I've been taught how to ask excellent questions. My research is really just the biggest interview of my life.

Why did you choose to come to SFU?

SFU has an English department staffed with some of the most highly-regarded faculty in their fields, and boasts an impressive research history. The archives at SFU's Special Collections and Rare Books contains not only print materials but also sophisticated audio and digital recordings as well. As someone interested in print culture and digital preservation, SFU has been an amazing place to do work in these areas.

How would you describe your research or your program to a family member?

I'm looking at the impact of the early Internet (from between roughly 1995-2005) and the significant loss of the digital material culture of this period. Large hosting platforms like GeoCities provided access to thousands of unique websites that spanned not only personal web pages, but also message boards and thriving communities that contributed to the popular culture then and now. With the loss of so much of this period to dead links and incomplete or inaccurate snapshots, its cultural significance is either lost, or its cultural memory distorted. I hope to examine the lasting significance of this period, identify why its preservation is culturally important, and suggest ways to improve the digital archive.

What three (3) keywords would you use to describe your research?

Internet, Culture, Preservation

How have your courses, RA-ships, TA-ships, or non-academic school experiences contributed to your academic and/or professional development?

Working as a TA has been a huge contributor to my understanding of how to go about my own learning. I am currently an RA for SpokenWeb, which is a digital audio archival project, which has been invaluable in terms of familiarizing me with some of the practices and standards of digital preservation. The team is very knowledgeable and experienced, and it's great to be part of a project of its size.

Contact Garin:garin_fahlman@sfu.ca