Workshop Alaska Library Association March 4, 2010 CATALOGING ORAL HISTORIES

OVERVIEW 1. Introduction to Oral History 2. Oral History from a Cataloger’s Perspective

WHAT IS ORAL HISTORY? My favorite definition “Oral history is a methodology for documenting recent history through the eyes of those who have lived through it.”

More About Oral History Refers to both a methodology and the final product; Often used to document underdocumented communities – groups with an oral tradition, groups outside the mainstream, groups whose voice has been silenced; Used to balance the viewpoint in the written record; to give a behind scenes story to a well documented person or event; to document everyday life in families, neighborhoods, cultural groups that would not otherwise be documented

What Makes It Oral History? Interview format Always recorded – audio or video Interviewer has subject expertise Shared authorship, with narrator having control over content Interview given with intent to enter historical record (i.e. deposited in a repository) Follows professional guidelines for oral histories, evaluation-guidelines/ evaluation-guidelines/

How are Oral Histories Used? By researchers in libraries and archives In performances In museum exhibitions In online exhibitions In curricula at all levels In community building In family research In bridging generation gap, cultural gap

What Does Oral History Look Like? Audio tape (reel-to-reel, audiocassette, DAT, microcassette) Multiple tapes Tape + Transcript Transcript only (sometimes bound, sometimes not) MiniDisc, CD, Flash drive, sound file Videocassette DVD with Video Any combination of the above EXAMPLES

Oral History from a cataloger’s point of view Oral history methodologies have changed, but archivists and catalogers deal with past, present, and future in format and recording medium, in definition of the primary document, From reel-to-reel tape To portable cassette recorders. To mini-disc, microcassettes, CDs, flash drives, sound files And always … the transcript

And so it goes …. Catalogers must accommodate to these changes in oral history practice and recording technologies, while at the same time manage collections of older, often endangered materials.

The Result:

What Catalogers Need to Know Format – audio/video, analog/digital, sound file Recording medium – Cassette, disc, sound file, or combination Transcript Physical components of the oral history Accompanying materials

CATALOGING REFRESHER 1. Why Catalog? 2. Principles of Cataloging 3. Cataloging Steps 4. Coding Standards and Rules 5. Container for Catalog Records

Why Catalog? Organize materials Link related items Link description to physical item Describe physical content Describe intellectual content Provide multiple access points Record administrative, preservation, rights data Share information across institutions

Some Cataloging Principles Follow established standards and rules to achieve Accuracy Consistency Precision Context In order to provide …. Desired results

Cataloging Tasks Physical description Subject/content analysis Access points Authority control

Standards and Rules

Standards for Description AACR FRBR (not really a standard) RDA (in-process)

FRBR Model WORK – distinct intellectual or artistic creation, THE ORAL HISTORY EXPRESSION- the artistic or intellectual form the work takes in this instance – NOT RELEVANT MANIFESTATION – the physical embodiment of that expression. THE RECORDING + TRANSCRIPT ITEM - the actual physical item catalogued. – PHYSICAL ITEM IN HAND

RDA (Resource Description & Access) New standard to replace AACR, based on FRBR model More flexibility, replaces print bias of AACR, accommodates for relationships Will be helpful for cataloging oral histories, because it accommodates for multiple media, parent/child relationships.

Standards for Data Exchange These are metadata standards for entering data in a form that computers understand. They can be mapped from one to another. For example if you catalog in MARC21, it can be turned into Dublin Core MARC21 Dublin Core METS, EAD, TEI

Container for Cataloging Single access point: Inventory, Finding Aid, Stand alone catalog Traditional library model: OPAC Internet model: Digital repository

Single Access Point EXAMPLES: Inventory, Finding Aid, Stand alone catalog Advantages Low tech Low expense Easy to understand Disadvantages Limited access points Limited viewability

OPAC Traditional Library Model – Based on card catalog and print standard Advantages Standard: many oral histories already catalogued in OPAC Most librarians understand this model Serves local community very well Most libraries share cataloging on WorldCat.org Disadvantages Needs extra step to share data Hard to accommodate for multimedia of oral histories

Digital Repository EXAMPLES Bracero History Archive, Hurricane Digital Memory Bank, Veterans History Project, Advantages Internet access (many retrieved through Google) Colocates like materials Multimedia capabilities Disadvantages Unfamiliar to librarians Rights management issues not clear Protocols not clear. Not available to many

Final notes for Catalogers Be clear about physical items: Oral histories come to in a variety of formats, including multiple versions Relationships matter: Oral histories may be included in a collection of papers, as part of an oral history project Non-cataloging issues should be resolved first: proper labeling, rights issues, preservation issues

And when all is said and done…. There are only two rules: a) Don’t lose the tape, b) The patron always comes first William Schneider, reported by Robyn Russell, UAF

PUTTING THEORY INTO PRACTICE

My Mantra ORAL HISTORIAN IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE CONTENT CATALOGER IS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE PROCESS

Getting Started Develop a protocol for the oral history cataloging needs of your own institution Before cataloging begins Cataloging template

Cataloging Protocol Container for catalog records Finding Aid OPAC/WorldCat Digital Repository Standard for data exchange MARC Dublin Core Authority Control plan Homegrown thesaurus LCA Other, more specialized

Cataloging Protocol  Legal consent form must accompany oral history and be approved by library  Are all preservation issues resolved?  Restrictions on access?  Any other orphaned documents?  Are all physical items properly labeled?  Are copies of recordings made and logged?  Is contact information for donor, narrator and interviewer available?  Is oral history transcribed?

Let’s look at the handouts Incoming Oral History Collection – for the receipt of a collection Oral History Data Template -- To be filled out by the oral history project for each oral history. Pushes responsibility for accuracy of data to the oral history project. Cataloging Template – Much data transferred from oral history template, but adapted for cataloging

Important Data Elements Title of oral history (may or may not be provided) Physical description and format (including MARC 007) Creator – interviewer and narrator Time and date of interview Title of oral history project Institutional affiliation Biographical summary Historical summary Contents Subject headings or keywords

ADDITIONAL METADATA Copyright information Restrictions Location of archive Copy information Preservation information

Subject analysis Proper names – personal, corporate, geographic very useful access points to oral histories Topical headings also useful – can colocate related items within a collection or within the repository Authority control very important for oral histories – especially personal names. Be sure to get accurate spellings on incoming data sheets. Because of the local nature of oral histories, most need a local thesaurus for authority control, to supplement larger vocabularies. IMPT NOTE TO CATALOGERS: You should not be responsible for analyzing content, oral history project should provide this information for you

EXAMPLES

PRACTICE