Curating Oral Histories: From Interview to Archive (review)

After reading the preface to Curating Oral Histories: From Interview to Archive, I am thankful Nancy MacKay led the charge in surveying oral history processing, archiving, and preservation techniques across many programs and institutions in 2004. This survey, paired with her library and oral history knowledge, led to the development of this one stop resource for how to approach the management of oral history materials beyond the interview.

While most methodological manuals feature the interview process, MacKay has created an easy-to-understand guide to oral history materials management with a focus on archiving, legal/ethical issues, technology, transcribing, cataloging, preservation, Internet usage, along with challenges faced in the twenty-first century and beyond. In addition, she also includes helpful forms and resources in the book’s appendix. Overall, Curating Oral Histories is a key resource not only for librarians but for anyone tasked with organizing, preserving, or making oral histories accessible.

Many times, researchers do not devote much detail or thought as to what happens to recordings, transcripts, release forms, and other materials once interviews are deposited into an archive. Consequently, while it is our hope that such material is well cared for, sometimes items get misplaced, mislabeled, or become increasingly fragile due to the degradation of recording mediums. In this book, MacKay provides a basis for examining oral history collections and gives tips on how to proceed with the utmost care. In the end, planning takes center stage, and MacKay does a good job at getting one focused and on track, whether a novice or a seasoned professional.

While trends in oral history recording change from year to year, thanks to improvements in technology, MacKay builds the foundation for understanding different recording mediums in easy-to-understand terminology, from analog to digital, cassettes to flash memory. Though the current focus in oral history recording is on digital technology, it remains important for those tasked in curating materials to consider developing a digital preservation plan with a focus on periodic data migration, as MacKay notes. While the digital emphasis is important, we cannot forget interviews recorded in analog, or other disappearing mediums could possibly be in danger due to age or changing trends. In addition to audio recordings, she also touches upon video. Audio tends to be easier to work with, so MacKay does illustrate difficulties in archiving video, highlighted with an H-ORALHIST listserv excerpt from 2005. What was true in 2005 remains true today. Because video is being widely used in oral history research, curating video materials takes on new challenges and added strains on resources.

She also discusses transcription at some length in this book. She covers the pros and cons of transcribing oral history recordings while also introducing alternatives. These alternatives include creating interview summaries, tape logs, and indexing. For those taking on transcription, MacKay breaks out several helpful pointers including developing a transcribing plan, protocol, and guidelines.

Of particular interest to librarians, MacKay touches upon the cataloging of oral history interviews. She reveals that good cataloging is grounded in three key principles: structure, description, and analysis. In addition, cataloging oral history materials is challenging due to many factors, such as multiple recording formats. MacKay acknowledges that challenges do exist, but does a solid job at detailing cataloging in a nutshell; she stresses the necessity of establishing open lines of communication and developing an overall cataloging plan of attack. Some of the most helpful documents related to this chapter can be found in the book’s appendix, where readers can find a cataloging plan, protocol, worksheets, and a sample Machine-Readable Cataloging record.

This book is a short, yet valuable, read. MacKay packs it chock full of helpful tips, insights, and practical how-to guidance. It fills a key gap in oral history methodology literature and opens the door for discussion on what happens to materials once the interview is complete.

In some cases, for some people, curating oral history materials is occasionally an afterthought...