Oral History and Digital Humanities : Voice, Access, and Engagement

Exploring the developments that have occurred in the practice of oral history since digital audio and video became viable, this book explores various groundbreaking projects in the history of digital oral history, distilling the insights of pioneers in the field and applying them to the constantly changing electronic landscape of today.

Over the last two decades, much has changed in the world of oral history, as technology has opened up a wide range of possibilities for presentation and preservation of material. The doors of the archives have been blown from their hinges - and "access" has come to have a completely different meaning. This results in expectations for access and engagement that are vastly different than they were a mere twenty years ago. This innovative book examines the theoretical and practical developments that have occurred in the practice of oral history since digital audio and video became practical working formats. Over the years, the digital revolution has changed how oral historians conceptualize projects, how they deal with ethical issues, how they process their materials, how they think about sound and video, and how materials are made accessible. All of this has placed oral history squarely in the middle of the conversation about digital humanities. Each chapter covers a different groundbreaking project in the history of digital oral history from the perspective of the project''s organizer, explaining the reasons those projects were developed in the first place, how the researchers solved problems they faced, and how the solutions evolved over time with advancing technologies. Most pertinently, they discuss how the problems that started them on their digital paths are being dealt with currently and what they see for the future of oral history. The result is an illuminating survey of oral history''s digital evolution, distilling the insights of pioneers in the field and applying them to the constantly changing electronic landscape of today.