Hullistic

The Oral History Project continues but my status as student volunteer is over. I’ll continue on the project as long as I can but this is a good time to reflect on what has been done and what I’ve learned over this semester about Oral History and about a few other things along the way. So, in no particular order…

Lesson 1: Adaptability – Projects like this can change, drastically, but the work required is no less important and it is best to roll with things as they go. From a project management perspective though, it would be better to more thoroughly research the current state to uncover needs and requirements so changes, when they occur, are less drastic.

Lesson 2: Technical know-how is not ubiquitous – As someone who grew up with computers and works with them every day I tend to forget that not everyone is comfortable in the digital realm. As this project became more about digitization than about actually performing oral history interviews the need to do some training on the digital tech is necessary.

Lesson 3: Oral Histories are archives – I hadn’t thought about this but it makes perfect sense. A significant issue for archivists is authenticity and having a recorded interview that allows not only the text but the nuances of linguistic description allows one to gain an understanding of the genuine feelings about an issue at the time of recording.

Lesson 4: Oral Histories are for use – Making recording to sit in a box and never be heard (or seen in the case of video) is a terrible waste. In many cases interviewees agree to the recording for their own posterity as part of their legacy. They expect, and even desire I think that the recordings be heard. Thus the recordings must be preserved but also made available.

Lesson 5: There are many collections & recources available – If one wants to do oral history projects they should start at the Oral History Association website and read Donald Ritchie’s book. And browse existing collections some of which are linked in previous postings below.

Lesson 6: Oral Histories consume many resources – The amount of time, attention, technology and capital required to properly do even a single oral history is astounding. From finding a potentiual interviewee, to researching, to sharpening interview skills and coming up with good questions to actually performing and recording the interview to follow up, transcription and delivery, it is just amazing the requirements to get it right. I admit that when I initially volunteered (before making this a student project) I did not expect it to be so much work. BUt it is exciting and fulfilling work too. Of all the things in the world to collect, what could be more valuable than memories?

Lesson 7: I still have a lot to learn – Digitizing analog items is a way of life for me. It is time consuming but also necessary and valuable, that part is pretty easy for me. Learning a software program like Past Perfect is also not too difficult. And actually building the digital collection is fairly easy on the face of it but but I’m not comfortable yet with an organizational scheme that facilitates use. But having not Interviewed anyone or even decided about what to collect interviews, I’m still not in “full production.”

I have (and continue to) enjoy this project as much as anything I’ve done in a very long time. I hope my effort is worth a passing grade but more importantly I hope it advances the ability of the Tulsa Historical Society to share Tulsa history and continue collecting memories.

It has been a good week for the oral history project though the project has morphed into essentially a digitization effort for the semester. No trouble though, since I plan to keep working as a volunteer. There is still room for someone to work with me in the Spring for directed project credit.

I received the sample files digitized from the reels. They sound decent and match up to the print material in the 3-ring binders so I received permission to move forward and get all of the reels digitized which should be done in the next week. Of course digitization is only the first of a multi-step process. For these recordings to actually be useful I need to combine files because some single interviews span multiple tapes. I also need to clean up the noise and levels of the recordings. I think I can manage this in Audacity but it will take some time.

Also, now that I know the print material matches, it can be marked for digitization as well. I have not looked at every page but random sampling suggests that there are typewritten transcripts, deeds of gift and even some subject matter indexing for all of the reel interviews. I am going to ask my employer to donate conversion of this material because they use the absolute best OCR technology in the industry.

Of course I still have to catalog and classify so there is still some library work, but digitization had become the primary issue for the semester and rightly so given the people whose histories are contained in these recordings.

I spent the last two days at the Oral History Symposium in Oklahoma City which was fun. I met some nice people, got my copy of “Doing Oral History” signed by Donald Ritchie and saw overviews of several existing projects. I will post more in the future as I have the opportunity to look them over more fully but Murmur and Celebrate Oklahoma Voices are particularly interesting…I wish I had known about them during Dr. Martens’ Digital Collections course.

This is so much fun…what if I am an archivist?

Funding was approved to digitize the 38 reels so last week we took them to Video Revolutions in Tulsa to do the conversion. Initially, 2 reels will be done as a test to assure the content matches what the paperwork and labels say and also to test the audio quality. With the verification done, which should be earl y next week, I will be on to the next steps published last week.

In the meantime, I am reviewing the paperwork again in order to match the deeds of gift with each oral history. Past Perfect has the functionality to append this document to the master archive record where the Oral History itself is cataloged. I will place these in alphabetical order and prep them for scanning either by the new THS intern or I will do it. Also, there appear to be at least some transcripts of these histories. I will test a sample for scanning with OCR to convert them to a usable format to append to the archive record as well.

Next week I’ll be attending the Oral History Symposium in Oklahoma City and I’ll provide a full report. I will also try to update via twitter. You can follow me at @dennishull.

Reformatting the 38 reel-to-reel tapes in the THS archive to digital will cost a little over $900. With this in mind we decided to pursue this funding and actually go for depth in this project rather depth and, for now at least, ignore the 209 cassette tapes. To get started I drafted a document to use in searching for the funding because we have a few sources in mind that we think will provide support. The document included a list of 64 names many of whom are recognizable to most Tulsans. Names like Zink, Aaronson and Mayo for example.

Once this funding is acquired the process will begin. Each reel will be digitized into a .WAV format and delivered on compact disc. Here then are the next steps:

1. Import copies of each .WAV file into Audacity
2. Break out different interviews into single tracks
3. Name the tracks according to Lastname_DateOfInterview
4. Transfer the tracks to the THS server
5. Organize the tracks in the Past Perfect Archive Module’s Oral History.
6. Write to publish the method for organizing audio and video oral history files
7. Document the whole process from selecting interviewees, to performing the interviews, to recording and organizing oral histories among a few other things.
8. Look into how best to transcribe these interviews or whether there are existing transcriptions
9. Scan and attach the deeds of gift to the Past Perfect record
10. Start collecting and organizing new interviews.

 As these steps are running, I am also learning how to use Past Perfect to do the organizing. I browsed the THS system and then downloaded an evaluation copy to my personal laptop that is good for up to 200 records, and all of the documentation. I will be using the 3 ring binders that accompany the reel tapes to start testing methods of organization and I will try to learn how THS is cataloging its other archives to insure consistency.

Besides all of this, I am headed to the Oral History Symposium in a few weeks which is exciting , I am working on ideas to prepare the next phase of the project starting in the Spring (that will probably include the cassettes) and also I am looking out for someone to take on the responsibility because honestly, I want actually perform interviews.

Last week I was away for work so I am behind on my oral history project. However I did get registered for the  “Oral History for the 21st Century” Symposium. Additionally, one of the days I was away included training in MS-Project and I subsequently purchased and installed a copy. It wasn’t exclusively for this project but I trying to use it on this project.

Finally, I spent a little time over the weekend visiting with Dr. Richard Hug who offered some advice on marketing and fund raising for non-profits. He suggested a book by Philip Cotler titled Museum Marketing Strategy. This may be a good read to add since my focus this semester is less on actually performing oral histories an more on handling the business of it all.

Anyway, I will advance the project this week and have much more to report in the next posting.

Met at the Historical Society on Saturday and discussed the current status of the oral history project and looked into the available technology. As previously noted the Society uses Past Perfect version 4.0. Some investigation shows that this version has an oral history module so next week I’ll be spending some time on site at the Society and on the phone with tech support to learn how to activate this module. Once it is activated I will work with it to learn how to use for cataloging, indexing and otherwise organizing oral history recordings and related files & documents.

Based on Saturday’s conversation the scope of my project has become better focused. The preliminary scope is to:

1. Create an overall project management plan including phases and a work breakdown structure to meet the immediate project needs and allow the project to continue beyond the fall 2009 semester.
2. Develop a funding strategy for immediate needs and for the ongoing project
3. Install & Configure the oral history module of past perfect
4. Digitize existing analog reels & cassettes delivering the audio on both compact disk audio tracks and MP3 files
5. Preserve existing analog reels & cassettes
6. Digitize existing paper documents to PDF format
7. Develop and implement a plan to organize all content, both physical and digital using the Past Perfect 4.0 oral history module. This strategy will carry forward as new content is added.
8. Insure that digitized files (MP3 audio and PDF documents) are included in the present backup strategy

These items represent the scope and not the specific tasks required which will be in the project work breakdown structure.

So it turns out that I have really just completed most of what PMI calls the “Initiating” phase of this project and I only just now am entering the real planning phase. It is tempting to jump right in to the “Executing” phase and in some sense that is happening as I work on Past Perfect, finish and submit the RFP, and plan for funding but to insure the continuation of the project beyond my “running” it, I think a solid project plan is worth the time and it has been part of the list of deliverables for course credit since the beginning anyway.

My list from last week included 3 items: 1). Completion of the RFP to convert analog tape to digital format, 2). Completion of the historical society technology audit and a wish list, and 3). A list of realistic grant opportunities.

I have the list of grant opportunities, and have completed the tech audit as far as is possible without incurring charges from the Society’s IT vendor. As to the RFP, I thought I had it close but after attending a preservation workshop sponsored by SLA presented by Amigos Library Services where I learned more about the process I am going to revisit the RFP and talk to a contact at Amigos for some advice…I want to get it right so that I need not do it again and so that I can rely on the responses for gaining funding.

This week I finished reading the Ritchie book, reviewed the Oral History Association website, and began searching through possible grant opportunities. What I have learned so far is that while funding for oral history projects is available it is dependent very largely on those project under consideration being very well defined and including plans for funding without grants and commitments of resources. What I am doing presently for the Tulsa Historical Society is, in my estimation, not yet focused enough to qualify.

In fact, I am not sure that the project in which I am engaged is strictly an oral history project at all. My project is becoming more about setting up an environment in which oral history projects can take place. It is focused on technology, cataloging, publicity and more of the “business” of oral histories rather than on oral history itself. This is not all bad and can still qualify for grant funding but I suspect we will have to narrow our initial focus and describe better what it is the Society wants to accomplish with oral histories. My strategy will be to select some of the more realistic grant opportunities and try to tailor specific oral history projects to them in order to provide focus.

My RFP to digitize the analog tapes is taking shape and I have found a few possible vendors that might submit. My Society contact will be back next week for consultation and I am going to also ask the advice of another archives expert too.

On another note, I received an email about the “Oral History for the 21st Century” Symposium that will be held in Oklahoma City in November. I’ll certainly be in attendance and look forward to meeting other oral history folk who will no doubt have much more experience than do I.

So hopefully by next week I will finally have achieved a few milestones including:

1. Completion of the RFP to convert analog tape to digital format

2. Completion of the historical society technology audit and a wish list

3. A list of realistic grant opportunities

Also, as the scope of the project comes into focus and it is clear that grant decisions are not made swiftly, it is likely that I will not complete all deliverables this semester, so I am actively looking for a student to take up this project in Spring 2010.

I had planned to have a technology audit completed by this week for the Tulsa Historical Society oral history project but the people I need to facilitate this are not available for a few more weeks. I had been waiting to complete an RFP for digitizing the analog tapes until I knew what technology was in place because that would determine how the digital files should be delivered. Should they arrive on CD, DVD or external USB hard drive? Should the file format be MP3, WAV or something else? These remain open questions for a few more weeks so I turned my attention more to the Ritchie text to finish reading it early. I am so glad I did because chapter 6 discusses exactly these kinds of issues and perhaps more importantly, on page 175 I was introduced to the Society of American Archivists and the Oral History Association.

I had not really thought about oral histories as archives so when it came up in the book I felt a little silly for not recognizing the connection. And I never even considered that there was a professional organization specifically for oral historians but what a resource! The OHA publishes Oral History Evaluation Guidelines that will be very helpful in every phase of my project from here on. Most notably, it provides guidelines to help establish the firm goals and plans required for real consideration by grant funding organizations. Another resource is the National Archives and Records Administration.

So in the next few weeks I will be getting acquainted with these resources, assimilating the OHA guidelines, performing a broad search for grant opportunities and at least getting a start on an RFP to digitize the analog tapes. And as soon as THS personnel are available I will complete the technology audit and write out my technology “wish list.”

It’s building momentum…very exciting indeed!

Last Saturday I spent 5 hours at the Tulsa Historical Society taking inventory and found 38 reel-to-reel tapes the oldest of which is dates 1967. The reels are indexed and abstracted and some are fully transcribed with all of these documents being organized by interviewee name in five 3-ring binders. A sixth binder has some “deed of gift” documents. There is also a card file with subject listings that cross reference to reel number, side and approximate time from start. The paper items are mostly type-written with several bearing hand written notes. All in all the reels are well organized but of course they are old, fragile and should really be handled by experts and anyway there is no practical way for us to play reel-to-reel even if it were in the best possible condition.

I also found 209 cassette tapes with 200 marked and 9 unmarked. Of the 200 marked, 18 were each wrapped by two sheets of paper. One was an assignment sheet describing the tape as containing a World War II oral history interview conducted in 1992 by a Tulsa Community College young scholar program and listed the names of both the interviewer and interviewee among other pertinent information. The other document was a release signed by the interviewee. I did have a cassette player and so chose random samples to listen to and gauge quality. The interviewers are elementary school youth asking pre-written questions and the audio quality is, sadly, very poor.

The remaining 182 cassettes bear no identification or indexing aside from writing on the cassette and/or the jacket. One group of them is numbered 1-70 and a random listening sample of 6 tapes suggests that these are recordings of historical society meetings but the labeling does not make it clear. I also could not tell from what year these recordings came. There is a group of 20 cassettes of fair audio quality that are marked as oral interviews with the interviewee name from 1976-1979. There is a group of 16 cassettes that are also marked as oral histories with interviewee names but these appear to be much older and in fact their housings are all damaged such that I could not play them but I think an expert could sufficiently restore the content since that tape itself is undamaged. There are also 29 cassettes that are all marked but have no characteristics suggesting they belong together or in any other group. They are just random recordings. Finally, there are 47 cassettes of very good audio quality all dated 1980. In listening to a random sample I discovered that these are oral histories and that interviewers are all volunteers from the Junior League of Tulsa which engaged in a project at that time called the Historic Preservation Project.

I estimate that the total of the physical tapes represents at least 250 interviews (probably more) and several were high profile Tulsans. One of the random samples indicated an interviewee born in 1888. So there is likely to be some valuable, rich content but it is not accessible. Proper evaluation and identification of the content requires that everything first be digitized given the age and condition of the analog tape. Digitization, evaluation and organization of these items is a project by itself and is actually outside of the scope of my project. But my project is related in four ways: (1) to locate the appropriate technology to store, organize and deliver all content which will include these items, (2) to create an organizational structure (indexing, etc.) for use in the technology system ultimately implemented, (3) to prepare a request for proposal to digitize, and (4) to search for funding (grants or sponsorship) to acquire the technology and digitize the items. If I can get those things done the actual digitization, evaluation and organization project of these items will be a project available to another enterprising student.

I was recently introduced to Nicholas J. Belkin’s “Anomalous States of Knowledge.” Belkin’s position is meant to inform study of human information behavior and design of information retrieval systems.

One is in an Anomalous State of Knowledge when one is aware that they have a gap in knowledge but are uncertain as to how to fill it and also uncertain as to what counts as filled. Said another way, when you know you don’t know and you aren’t sure how to learn what you don’t know and how to tell when you come to know, you are in an anomalous state of knowledge. For Belkin this state is in relation to a goal one wants to achieve or a problem one wants to solve so the anomalous state of knowledge is relative to those particulars.

For example, suppose a child is diagnosed with a disease. The parents of the child naturally desire to get the best care possible for their child but how do they know what counts as the best care? In order to learn, they decide they first must know all they can about the disease, how it’s been treated, what studies have been and are being done and which doctors are experienced in treatments, the success rates of those doctors, which are involved in the research, in clinical trials and so on and so forth. Getting their child the best care is the parent’s first milestone to achieve with the ultimate goal of making their child well. At the moment that that becomes the goal and they recognize the gap in their knowledge along with the uncertainty of how best to fill it, they are in Belkin’s Anomalous State of Knowledge. And they stay in an Anomalous State of Knowledge as they seek out information to fill the gap and as they grapple with the uncertainty of whether the gap is truly filled properly. Now these parents may be in different anomalous states of knowledge along the way, but each cognitive state is still anomalous and so still fits Belkin’s description.

With that example in mind then we can consider where these parents go for information and how they acquire it in order to fill the gaps, achieve the goal and solve the problem. That is, we can reflect on their information behavior.

Belkin supposed that the written word was a message that contained not only the explicit content but also the cognitive state of the sender of the message (the author). Belkin explicitly says that the author’s cognitive state includes his or her purpose, intention, desire and also their beliefs about who the recipient might be and the recipient’s state of knowledge vis-à-vis the subject of the message.

This latter part looks to me a like Belkin is saying that the author is makes assumptions about the recipient and that those assumptions are part of the information of the text or message they are sending. Not wild guesses exactly but nevertheless assumptions based in part on the author’s own beliefs, desires and intentions regarding the potential audience for the message.

Recalling the parents in the example, they are engaging in information behavior because of their own purpose, intention and desire and they select information based on their beliefs about the author and his or her state of knowledge vis-à-vis the subject of the message. Thus the parents, the seekers of information, are making assumptions too. Again, not wild guesses, but nevertheless assumptions based in part on the parent’s own beliefs, desires and intentions regarding the author of the message AND ALSO assumptions about their own states of knowledge.

To me, it is reasonable to describe both the authors and the information seekers in Belkin’s view as operating under hypotheses about the other. And I’ll quote Willard Quine who says “People adopt or entertain a hypothesis because it would explain, if it were true, some things they already believe.”

I suggest that Belkin’s anomalous states of knowledge are states in which information seekers develop, tacitly and rapidly in most cases, hypotheses about themselves, their knowledge gaps, the information they need, the places to get information, and even about the mediums of delivery and the authors of the information they do find. I further suggest that these hypotheses are required as a means to “hook in” what seekers are looking for and finding, to what they already know. If this is right then it means that information retrieval systems must include tools to exploit those hooks while also adding to, or altering, the stock of knowledge already connected to them.

This may not imply anything new to information studies. Then again, maybe considering people as hypothesizing during their information search can be a useful way of describing the situation.