CURATING ORAL HISTORIES

SURVEY

Type of institution

___Academic	___Government	___Historical Society	___Museum	___Religious
___For Profit	___Public library/ school	___Non-Profit	___Other

Institutional information

Name of library/archive/project:

Parent Institution (if applicable):

Contact person

Title:                                     

Phone:

Email:

Location (city):

Oral history collection

            Describe briefly your oral history collection:

Number of interviews:

Time span and geographic scope:

Subjects collected:

How do you acquire oral histories?

_____ Donation       _____ Produced inhouse   ____Purchased           ____Other (explain)

Comments on acquisition of oral histories:

Preservation

In what formats do you archive oral histories?

____ Paper transcript

____ Analog audio: (specify) reel-to-reel, audiocassette, microcassette:

_____ Digital audio: (specify) DAT, CD, minidisc, datafile, other

_____Visual: (specify) analog video, digital video, DVD, other

Does your archive have a schedule for format refreshment or transfer? Describe.

Are any of your oral histories endangered due to media deterioration? Describe.

What are the biggest challenges dealing with multiple formats for oral histories?

Access

How do you catalog oral histories?

_____ Don’t catalog

_____ Finding aid

_____ Full MARC cataloging

_____ Brief MARC cataloging

_____ Catalog using metadata, e.g. EAD, TEI (specify):

Where do your catalog records live?

_____ OCLC or RLIN

_____ Other aggregated database or digital library (specify)

_____ Institution’s online catalog

_____ Institution’s website

_____ Catalog records not available online

_____ Other (describe):

Online Access

Are your oral histories online in any form? Describe.

 

If not, are you considering publishing your oral histories on the internet in any form?

 

If yes to either of these questions, may I contact you for more details?

Looking to the future (Please use reverse side for answers)

What are some of the greatest challenges for archiving oral histories today?

What are some of the greatest possibilities for preserving and providing access to oral histories in the 21^st century?

What is the greatest need for oral history archivists (e.g. training, staff, money, technology)

Is communication between oral historians and archivists sufficient? What steps could be taken to enhance understanding?

Is the processing of oral histories sufficiently funded in your institution?

What is the greatest challenge in your daily handling of oral histories?

May I contact you for a followup survey?

Samples of your written documentation (donor forms, guidelines for cataloging, grant proposals) would be welcome