Sharing in the Digital Age

Transitioning... c.2009. Photo ©Jeremy Clowe. All rights reserved.

One of the contributions I am most proud of making during my years at Norman Rockwell Museum, has been the videotaping of oral histories with Norman Rockwell's models, acquaintances, family, and other artists who have been inspired by or continue in the illustrator's tradition. I am frequently conducting the interviews, manning the camera, checking the audio, and in some cases, editing it for promotional or exhibition use. It can be time-consuming, but I'm good at it... and feel I am providing an invaluable service (last fall I did an interview with Ralph Baer, one of our donors, who is considered the founder of video games). I have also conducted oral histories outside of the Museum, and am so glad that I thought to sit down with my late grandmother, who meant the world to me... I learned so much about my family that I might never have known otherwise.

Many of the interviews I have conducted for the Museum were before the advent of HD cameras, so I'm happy that steps are being taken to preserve this work for later access. I am also at a point where I must consider this for my own large archive of independent recordings, which include interviews with many important music artists... some who have also since passed.

The other day the Museum Director forwarded along a newsletter from the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), which contained an article about Michigan State University's efforts to preserve and improve the practice of conducting oral histories in the digital age-- the school was actually the recipient of a 2009 IMLS grant that supported this ongoing effort.

The early result is the "Oral History in the Digital Age" website, which is attempting to gather some recommended standards--everything from selecting video equipment and achieving good audio recordings to intellectual property issues and oral history podcasts. It looks like a useful site for video professionals and even the casual videographer, looking for advice on how to record their family or friend's story for future preservation. 

Hmm... so how does one go about winning a grant to afford the upgrade of digital technology? I'll have to research that one further...

Related Links:

Oral History in the Digital Age website

Personal Archiving -- Digital Preservation, Library of Congress website