navigating access to legacy oral history collections
TRANSCRIPT
Navigating Access to Legacy Oral History Collections
Jessica Breiman, Special Collections, Marriott LibraryJulia Huddleston, Special Collections Marriott Library
Leighton Quarles, American West CenterUniversity of Utah Image by Irwin Scott
Attendees will be able to:
➢ Anticipate and plan for obstacles to oral history access projects
➢ Understand the impact of such a project on partners inside and outside of library
➢ Describe policies to be evaluated, created, and updated in the process of such a project
Goals
RolesCollection, access, preservation
ChallengesWaivers, formats,intellectual organization,
partnerships and turnover, Communication
Confronting the ChallengesOnline access and media streaming, policies and
procedures, best practices
Outline
Roles
Special Collections @ the U
➢ Manuscripts➢ Western Americana➢ Rare Books➢ Multimedia Archives (Photographs and AV)➢ University Archives and Records
Management
Oral History Collections at the U
Generally arranged by project➢ 18 projects with transcripts
and audio➢ 27 Audio/Visual only➢ 29 transcript only
The American West CenterA center devoted to public humanities in the West
➢ Conduit for oral histories to the Marriott Library
➢ Founded in 1964➢ Official home is the the College of
Humanities ➢ Interdepartmental staff➢ Multiple funding sources➢ Tasks: Decide on projects, obtain funding,
conduct and process interviews, send to library
AWC Projects
AWC and Marriott Library: 48 Years of Partnership
Oral History Staff and Training➢ Interviewers
○ Generally 1-2 depending on project funding○ Combination of paid staff, volunteers and graduate
students➢ Transcriptionists
○ Generally 2-3 at a time, part-time, volunteer or graduate assistants
➢ Training○ Has historically been informal, depending on the director○ Will be addressed in new policies and procedures manual
The Interview Collection Process➢ Contact➢ Interview conducted
○ waiver signed
➢ Transcription➢ Transcript sent to
interviewee for editing➢ Interview finalized➢ Summary written➢ Interviews submitted to
Marriott quarterly
Workflows➢ Collections deposited in library; transcripts go to
Manuscripts, audio/video goes to Multimedia Archives➢ Collections processed, finding aids created and placed
online; MARC records updated➢ Digitization priorities established; digital items moved
into digital preservation system➢ Metadata team creates metadata conforming to
Mountain West Digital Library Dublin Core Application Profile; item placed in digital library
Services @ the U➢ Preservation➢ Processing and metadata➢ Access ➢ Reference and Instruction➢ Personal copies ➢ Transcription services/funding
Challenges
Challenges: Access
➢ Obstacles to online access○ Metadata○ Copyright
➢ Legacy collections designated as “restricted”
➢ Collections with no transcripts
➢ Findability: No shared web presence
➢ Backlog
Challenges: Preservation
➢ Large video files➢ File naming and formats ➢ Communicate with
digital archivist➢ Prioritization
Challenges: Processing
➢ File numbering○ two different systems inherited by
predecessors➢ Finding aids separated by department➢ Technical metadata is lost in translation ➢ Backlog!
Challenges: Waivers
➢ Early waivers were very general:
➢ Did not anticipate online access➢ Growing complexity and lack of unified use
“I willingly contribute my testimony recorded on [date/year] to the Library of the University of Utah to be used for scholarly purposes.”
Missing Waivers
➢ Another big problem is some collections were missing waivers entirely
○ No copyright has been transferred○ Increased risk of privacy violations○ Ethical concerns
An example of an interviewee who backed out of the project
Challenges: The partnership
➢ Joint server access➢ New accessions & digital upload of
interviews ➢ Staff turnover➢ Lack of policy & procedure documents➢ Funding
Confronting the Challenges
Online Access
➢ Four collections are available fully online○ Another is partially available, due to permissions
➢ Two more have been digitized and are awaiting metadata○ This is the most time consuming part of the process○ Can take several months
➢ Digital objects are linked in the finding aid
Use AgreementI acknowledge and agree that all information I obtain as a result of accessing any oral history provided by the University of Utah’s Marriott Library shall be used only for historical or scholarly or academic research purposes, and not for commercial purposes. I understand that any other use of the materials is not authorized by the University of Utah and may exceed the scope of permission granted to the University of Utah by the interviewer or interviewee. I may request permission for other uses, in writing to Special Collections at the Marriott Library, which the University of Utah may choose grant, in its sole discretion. I agree to defend, indemnify and hold the University of Utah and its Marriott Library harmless for and against any actions or claims that relate to my improper use of materials provided by the University of Utah.
Communication and Partnership
➢ Consult with Campus Legal Counsel➢ Collaboration with Digital Operations and
Application Programming➢ Establish personal relationships➢ Establish parameters of partnership➢ Document and make clear workflows
within each unit
Policies and Procedures
➢ Training manual for interviewers and transcriptionists
➢ Policies for access and digitization (establish the queue!)
➢ Preservation policies (filetypes/sizes)➢ File naming conventions➢ Regularly scheduled review of waivers
Shared Spaces
What We Have Learned
➢ Keep reviewing why you’re doing what you’re doing○ How can we improve access?
➢ Communicate between divisions➢ Keep your successors in mind
Thanks for listening!
Questions?