ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on the Lux Project, an undergraduate research and digitisation project at the University of Winnipeg that works with the Hetherington Collection, a teaching collection of ancient Mediterranean artefacts. In this chapter, we examine the impacts a small-scale project can have in its own community as we describe how the Lux Project volunteers engage with local audiences beyond the university and work to raise the profile of ancient Mediterranean studies in Winnipeg. In considering how to reach local groups outside of the academy, this chapter also explores the ways that undergraduate students can contribute to public scholarship as researchers and as public scholars themselves, incorporating the perspectives of three long-time Lux Project volunteers, Kira Lang, Colton Van Gerwen, and Bourke Karras. Since student work with the collection has involved a broad array of tasks including identifying and dating objects, archival research, digital preservation, and data management, this chapter also discusses how students’ interests and educational goals present opportunities that shape the path of the project itself. In the conclusion, we reflect on the flexibility of small-scale projects and how to make the most of this attribute in adapting public scholarship to suit the needs of local communities.
