Re: Oral History and artifacts
Your field notes are probably not worth preserving but...
If you have the time, I would argue that it is wise to conduct thorough oral
history interviews with artifact donors. Here at the History Center, I
commonly conduct interviews with artifact donors, transcribe them, process
the interviews (transcripts AND tapes) into our library, and then cross
reference the oral history with the artifact catalog record. It adds yet
another dimension to the documentation of an artifact.
All of us collect artifacts because they have a "history" or "story"
associated with them. Oral history allows us to capture and preserve that
story first hand, in the words of the donor.
As for "official" oral histories, under no circumstances should the actual
tape be reused or otherwise discarded. In fact, a duplicate should
immediately be made and stored in a separate location in the event of
deterioration or destruction of the original. The historical document that
has been produced by an oral history interview is the tape itself, not the
transcript. A transcript is merely a finding aid - it does not capture the
essence of the recorded conversation- the colloquialisms, the regional
accents, and the demeanor of the interviewee. Those who will use oral
histories in the future will want to listen to the tapes themselves, not
simply read a transcription.
Nick Ciotola
Senator John Heinz Pittsburgh Regional History Center
Historical Society of Western Pennsylvania
-----Original Message-----
From: Cynthia Hoover [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
Sent: Tuesday, July 24, 2001 5:00 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Oral History Transcriptions
Dear Listers:
When gleaning information from a donor, I sometimes use a tape recorder
(with their permission of course) so I can concentrate on talking to them
and not have to worry about taking written notes. I then transcribe the
conversation onto my computer. Should I keep the tape, or is it OK to reuse
it (record over it). What, if any, is the difference between this and an
'official' oral history and the way it should be treated?
Thanks,
Cindy Hoover, Curator
Lyon County Historical Museum
Emporia, KS 66801
[log in to unmask]
=========================================================
Important Subscriber Information:
The Museum-L FAQ file is located at
http://www.finalchapter.com/museum-l-faq/ . You may obtain detailed
information about the listserv commands by sending a one line e-mail message
to [log in to unmask] . The body of the message should read "help"
(without the quotes).
If you decide to leave Museum-L, please send a one line e-mail message to
[log in to unmask] . The body of the message should read "Signoff
Museum-L" (without the quotes).
=========================================================
Important Subscriber Information:
The Museum-L FAQ file is located at http://www.finalchapter.com/museum-l-faq/ . You may obtain detailed information about the listserv commands by sending a one line e-mail message to [log in to unmask] . The body of the message should read "help" (without the quotes).
If you decide to leave Museum-L, please send a one line e-mail message to [log in to unmask] . The body of the message should read "Signoff Museum-L" (without the quotes).
|
