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.

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.

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.