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So Long, Farewell

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By Caitlin Tyler-Richards

Dearest readers, I am sorry to say that the time has come for me to say goodbye. I have had a wonderful time meeting you all, not to mention learning more than I ever thought I would know about the fantastic field of oral history. However, grant applications and comprehensive examinations are calling my name, so I must take a step back from tweeting, Facebooking, tumbling and Google plusing (sure, why not).

Fear not, we have found another to take my place: the esteemable and often bow-tie-wearing Andrew Shaffer. I chatted with him earlier this week and I already think he’ll make a wonderful Caitlin 2.0. (For instance, Andrew originally wanted to introduce himself with the lyrics from the Fresh Prince of Bel-Airtheme song. A+.)

*   *   *   *   *

So, Andrew, tell us a bit about yourself.

Well, Caitlin, I am a first year PhD student at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, studying gender and sexuality history in a modern US context. I’m originally from Illinois, but lived in San Francisco for three years before coming to Madison. There I received an MA in International Studies and worked at a non-profit that provides legal resources and policy analysis to immigrants and immigration advocates.

Do you have any interests outside of school?

Honestly? Not really… But when I’m not thinking about school, I sometimes read, go on walks, or explore all the exciting things Madison has to offer.

That’s a little sad. But since you love school so much, I bet you have exceptionally exciting research interests?

I’m really interested in the ways LGBT activists have responded to political and social changes, and how their efforts have impacted the everyday lives of LGBT communities. Because of the incredible diversity among LGBT communities, I use intersectional approaches to better understand how various segments of our community are affected, or even created by these changes.

Oh, awesome! Do you use oral history or interviews in your research?

Absolutely! I had the good fortune to take a class on oral history methods in college, and I fell in love with it right away. Since then, I’ve been involved with multiple oral history projects, and I think it is one of the best tools available to preserve a community’s memories. Because I study the very recent past, I’m lucky to be able to use interviews and oral histories extensively in my research.

You’ll fit in just fine here then — perhaps even better than I did. Speaking of, what are you looking forward to about this position?

I’m most looking forward to meeting and interacting with people who are using oral history to accomplish new and interesting things. The Oral History Review has featured some really great articles on things like using Google Glass for interviews, and using oral history to document the lives of people with schizophrenia. I’m excited to learn more about novel uses of oral history.

Thanks for noticing! I (and Troy) have worked hard to keep up with the latest trends in the field and to shine a spotlight on all the great work oral historians have been doing. Any concerns about taking over?

Definitely! Like most academic types, I find it easier to write 30 pages than 140 characters, but hopefully I’ll learn some brevity. You’ve done a really great job of preparing and sharing high quality posts through Oral History Review’s social media outlets, and I hope I can continue to provide an enjoyable experience for all of our followers!

I’m sure you’ll do great. Best of luck!

*   *   *   *   *

Andrew has already taken over all the social media platforms, so you should feel free to bombard him with questions at @oralhistreview, in the comments below or via the other 3 million social media accounts he now runs. He and I will also be at the upcoming annual meeting in October, so be sure to say hi — and goodbye.

Image credit: Cropped close-up of two hands passing a relay baton against a white background. © chaiyon021 via iStockphoto.

Caitlin Tyler-Richards is the former editorial/media assistant at the Oral History Review. Now that she may no longer hassle oral historians over Twitter, she is focusing on her PhD in African History at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Her research include the postcolonial politics of Nigerian literary production and consumption after 1945, African book history and the digital humanities. You can follow her on Twitter at @ctredits.

Andrew Shaffer is a first year PhD student at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, studying gender and sexuality history in a modern U.S. context. Originally from Illinois, he lived in San Francisco for three years before coming to Madison. There he received an MA in International Studies at the University of San Francisco, and worked at a nonprofit that provides legal resources and policy analysis to immigrants and immigration advocates.

Teaching Is Not a Business

Teaching Is Not a Business

oupacademic:

TODAY’S education reformers believe that schools are broken and that business can supply the remedy. Some place their faith in the idea of competition. Others embrace disruptive innovation, mainly through online learning. Both camps share the belief that the solution resides in the impersonal, whether it’s the invisible hand of the market or the transformative power of technology.

H-OralHist finds a new home on H-Net Commons

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By Steven Sielaff

It is hard to believe that it has been nearly one year now since I was approached with a very unique opportunity. I was working as a newly appointed staff member of the Baylor University Institute for Oral History (BUIOH) when then-Senior Editor Elinor Maze asked if I would be interested in joining the ranks of H-OralHist and guiding the listserv’s transition to a new web-based format, the H-Net Commons.

My journey began with a nomination to the H-OralHist editorial team, a journey I took with BUIOH Editor Michelle Holland. For the uninitiated, H-OralHist originally served as an e-mail subscription listserv for those interested in current topics in the field of oral history. Participants could submit a question, a news announcement, or details on an upcoming conference or event, and H-OralHist would circulate that information to its membership. For every topic, members had the ability to respond and provide further information or answers as they saw fit. The H-OralHist editors would moderate this discussion, making sure the flow of information stayed relevant.

After our induction in October 2013, Michelle and I became the first editors trained in the new web-based system. Previously, editors merely interacted with listserv members via e-mail exchanges using the H-Net mail server. The H-Net Commons has a much more robust interface to navigate, including both the public face through which the entire membership interact, plus the back-end review system where editors select and work with submissions. The new features and training are quite substantial. H-Net Commons now provides multiple avenues of interaction, ranging from the familiar discussion posts to the ability to upload photos, write blog posts and more.

While Michelle took the editorial reigns of H-OralHist in early 2014, still operating under the old listserv system, I worked with the H-Net administrators to prepare our list for migration to the new Commons platform. In late March, it was our turn in the migration schedule, and we went live on the new platform in April 2014. Michelle and I worked out the initial bugs, and pretty soon the conversations were flowing again. Users of the new H-OralHist may now choose how they stay on top of new discussions. They can continue to have individual topics pop up in their e-mail inbox, receive a digest system for daily summaries, or work exclusively with the new online platform. The Commons functions much like a typical online forum now, allowing one to reply to discussions from the topic page. For those interested, the archive of prior discussions still exists and is available from the splash page sidebar under “Discussion Logs.”

At the moment, the remainder of the H-OralHist editorial team is working through the new training. We have had one successful editorial transition already this summer, with two more planned for the rest of the year. My hope is that as we enter 2015, the entire staff will have the necessary experience under their belts and editorial shifts will proceed like clockwork. As for me, I am currently revisiting the old resource materials and adding/cleaning links to the various oral history collections and centers across the world. Additionally, with the help of Oral History Association President Cliff Kuhn, we have planned an H-OralHist open forum event for this year’s annual meeting in Madison, WI. It is scheduled for noon on Thursday, October 9th. It will be an opportunity for anyone — especially our 3690 subscribers — to stop by and ask questions about the new web interface or offer suggestions on what other tools we should employ on the Commons. I hope I will get an opportunity to meet many of you there as we continue the discussion on the future of this invaluable resource we call H-OralHist!

Headline image credit: Migrating birds. Public domain via Pixabay.

Steven Sielaff (@SKSielaff) is Senior Editor & Collections Manager at Baylor’s Institute for Oral History. A graduate of Baylor University’s Museum Studies master’s program, he began at BUIOH as a graduate assistant in 2011 and became a full time staff member by 2013. Steven’s primary professional foci are the value of institutional histories and the use of oral histories in the digital age. His research includes museological surveys of Texas institutions and integration of the University of Kentucky’s Oral History Metadata Synchronizer (OHMS) online software among educational entities. He currently serves on the board of the Heart of Texas Regional History Fair and is vice president on the Board of Directors for the Texas Oral History Association (TOHA). He is, of course, also Technical Advisor/Editor for the H-Oralhist listserv.

 

Schizophrenia and Oral History

Schizophrenia and Oral History

oralhistoryreview:

It’s been awhile, but the Oral History Review on OUPblog podcast is back! Today’s episode features OHR contributors Drs. Linda Crane and Tracy McDonough answering OHR Managing Editor Troy Reeves’s questions about the Schizophrenia Oral History Project and their article, “Living with Schizophrenia: Coping, Resilience, and Purpose,” which appears in the most recent Oral History Review.

You can also listen to the interview on Soundcloud.

Reblogging for the late night audience.

Schizophrenia and Oral History

Schizophrenia and Oral History

It’s been awhile, but the Oral History Review on OUPblog podcast is back! Today’s episode features OHR contributors Drs. Linda Crane and Tracy McDonough answering OHR Managing Editor Troy Reeves’s questions about the Schizophrenia Oral History Project and their article, “Living with Schizophrenia: Coping, Resilience, and Purpose,” which appears in the most recent Oral History Review.

You can also listen to the interview on Soundcloud.

Oral history through Google Glass

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By Juliana  Nykolaiszyn

It was late in the day when a nondescript package arrived at my office. After carefully opening the box and lifting off the lid, there it was: Google Glass. And yes, it was awesome. Initially, the technology geek in me was overjoyed, but the oral historian soon took over as I raced through potential uses for this wearable technology in my daily work.

Google's augmented reality head mounted display as glass form. Photo by Ted Eytan. CC BY-SA 2.0 via taedc Flickr.
Google’s augmented reality head mounted display as glass form. Photo by Ted Eytan. CC BY-SA 2.0 via taedc Flickr.

I have found Google Glass provides unique challenges to and opportunities for conducting oral history, from interviewing to access. Worn like a pair of glasses, Google Glass allows users to take a photo, record video, get directions, send messages, search the Internet, make phone calls, and more with a simple voice command, “Ok Glass.” Google made this innovative piece of tech available to a limited audience of beta testers or “Glass Explorers” in 2013. Google Glass is easier to obtain today, cost remaining the most prohibitive factor. A lower cost consumer model is in the works, and is expected to be released later in 2014. This may dispel the social stigma that has developed around the wearable technology.

Over the last few months, I have put Google Glass through its paces with oral history in mind. I’ve learned that in an interview setting, Glass can be awkward for the narrator and the interviewer, and thus negatively impact the overall exchange. In fact, I was downright distracted while attempting to record with the unit, even in brief stretches. Maybe it is because I am not accustomed to wearing glasses, but there were other factors at play as well. First, you cannot zoom in while recording video, which limits framing the shot. And though Google Glass captures video in 720p, the battery limits recording time to approximately 43 minutes. Similarly, there is only 12 GB of usable memory. Another major downfall of Google Glass is the built-in microphone. The mic can easily and clearly record the person wearing the unit, but struggles to pick up other voices, such as narrators stationed at a comfortable distance. Furthermore, the mic is not omnidirectional, lessening the overall quality of recordings.

Here is an example of conducting an interview with Google Glass.
Credit: Oklahoma Oral History Research Program

Despite the technical shortcomings, I still see promise for using this type of wearable technology to gather oral histories. Google Glass can be used in instruction training tool. It provides a unique perspective for analysis, helping interviewers understand their connection to narrators, and to monitor head movements or gaze during a recording session. Another potential area of growth is access. Exhibits utilizing Google Glass are starting to emerge in several cultural institutions, including the New Museum in New York and the UK’s Manchester Art Gallery. Third-party applications are also being developed, which will only add to one’s ability to use Glass to enhance public displays. Finally, Glass may provide oral historians the ability to share interviews across geographic boundaries. Interviews can be live streamed via Google Hangouts, allowing for real-time access and interaction, perfect for connecting groups inside or outside the classroom.

At the end of the day, oral history is complimented by technology. While we have seen shifts and changes through the years, technology is still very important to recording, preserving, and accessing oral history. Google Glass may not be as robust as it could be for the purposes of documenting and preserving the history around us, but I am betting this type of wearable technology will move past these shortcomings sooner rather than later. As for its role in oral history, my initial experience suggests only time will tell how we will use it.

Juliana Nykolaiszyn is an Associate Professor/Librarian with the Oklahoma Oral History Research Program at the Oklahoma State University Library. She serves as an interviewer on several oral history projects, including the Inductees of the Oklahoma Women’s Hall of Fame, Oklahoma Centennial Farm Families, O-STATE Stories and the Spotlighting Oklahoma series. In addition to interviewing, Juliana is involved in making materials available online, primarily through CONTENTdm and other web-based efforts.

archivesofamericanart:

usnatarchives:

Join us on Thursday, April 3,  from 9:30 to 4 pm at the National Archives Building in Washington, DC for an all-day Archives Fair! Enter through the Special Events Entrance on 7th St. and Constitution Ave. The DC Caucus of MARAC and the National Archives Assembly are co-hosting this all-day Archives Fair. Archives-related groups and will be using the area outside the McGowan Theater as an exhibit hall.

You can watch our panel discussion online.

8:30-9:30 a.m. Coffee Hour and Exhibit Hall

9:30-10 a.m. Welcome and  Introduction by the Archivist of the United States

10:00-11:30  a.m. Panel Discussion: Crowdsourcing for Enhanced Archival Access

  • Elissa Frankle, moderator (US Holocaust Memorial Museum)
  • Helena Zinkham (Library of Congress)
  • Ching-Hsien Wang (Smithsonian)
  • Meredith Stewart (National Archives)

11:30-1 p.m. Lunch & Exhibit Hall

1-2:30 p.m. Panel Discussion: Monuments Men Archives

  • Barbara Aikens (Smithsonian)
  • Dr. Greg Bradsher (National Archives)
  • Maygene Daniels (National Gallery of Art Archives)

2:30-2:45  p.m.  Break and Exhibit Hall

2:45-3:15 p.m. National Archival Authorities Cooperative (NAAC)

  • John Martinez (National Archives)
  • Jerry Simmons (National Archives)

3:15-3:45 p.m. Donations Partnership Database

  • Dawn Sherman (National Archives)
  • Meg Ryan (National Archives)

3:45-4 p.m.   Closing Remarks and Exhibit Hall

We’ll be there! Especially excited to hear Ching-Hsien Wang’s talk on smithsoniantranscriptioncenter and our own Barbara Aikens on the Monuments Men. Please join us!

Oral history, collective memory, and community among cloistered nuns – OUPblog

Oral history, collective memory, and community among cloistered nuns – OUPblog

This week, managing editor Troy Reeves speaks with scholar and artist Abbie Reese about her recently published book, Dedicated to God: An Oral History of Cloistered Nuns. Through an exquisite blend of oral and visual narratives, Reese shares the stories of the Poor Clare Colettine Order, a multigenerational group of cloistered contemplative nuns living in Rockford, Illinois.

In her interview, Reese talks about how popular culture sparked her interest in nuns and what it was like to work with the real women of the Poor Clare Colettine Order. Reese also discusses how she came to incorporate oral history into her work as a visual artist and her next, upcoming project.

Be sure to click through to see some of Reese’s amazing photographs as well.

Special issue of the Oral History Review: “Listening to and for LGBTQ Lives”

Deadline for submissions: September 1, 2014
Publication date: Winter/Spring 2016

By Stephanie Gilmore, PhD

As we commemorate anniversaries, such as the upcoming 45th anniversary
of the 1969 Stonewall Riot in New York City, and challenge recent
developments, including the criminalization of same-sex sexuality in
Uganda, scholars, activists, and citizens are compelled to examine and
deepen historical and contemporary perspectives on the importance of the
lives and experiences of LGBTQ people. Oral history has become a
significant way to uncover the hidden histories of LGBTQ people; and
scholars, activists, librarians, archivists, and organizations are using
oral history theory and methods to put LGBTQ people at the center of
analysis and understand the multifaceted lives and experiences of LGBTQ
people around the world.

The editorial staff of the Oral History Review is actively seeking
short-form (3,000-4,000 word) and long-form (8,000-12,000 word) articles
for a special issue devoted to the theme “Listening to and for LGBTQ
Lives.” Submissions might address any aspect of oral history–theory,
practice, methodology, pedagogy, uses/applications of oral history,
editing and writing oral history, as well as narrative and analytical
pieces based on oral history sources. We also welcome experimental forms
and multimedia dimensions.

We invite submissions that raise innovative points about the use of oral
history in researching and writing about LGBTQ people; highlight the
promises and pitfalls of developing archives devoted to LGBTQ lives and
organizations; explore pedagogical developments in courses on LGBTQ
histories; and elevate new theoretical and/or practical developments in
the growing field of LGBTQ histories.

Mission Statement: The Oral History Review
The Oral History Review, published by the Oral History Association, is
the US journal of record for the theory and practice of oral history
and related fields. The journal’s primary mission is to explore the
nature and significance of oral history and advance understanding of the
field among scholars, educators, practitioners, and the general public.
The Review publishes narrative and analytical articles and reviews, in
print and multimedia formats, that present and use oral history in
unique and significant ways and that contribute to the understanding of
the nature of oral history and memory. It seeks previously unpublished
works that demonstrate high-quality research and that offer new insight
into oral history practice, methodology, theory, and pedagogy. Work
published in the journal arises from many fields and disciplines,
reflecting the interdisciplinary nature of oral history. While based in
the US, the Review reflects the international scope of the field and
encourages work from international authors and about international topics.

Direct inquiries and submissions to:

Stephanie Gilmore, PhD
Interim Editor (July 1, 2014 – July 1, 2015), The Oral History Review
Email: shgilmore1@gmail.com
www.stephaniegilmorephd.com

Note: Readers will see the contact person for this special issue is the
newest member of the Oral History Review’s editorial team, Stephanie
Gilmore, who will be interim editor while Kathy Nasstrom is on
sabbatical. Consider this a “soft” announcement of her joining us. We’ll
laud Stephanie’s arrival more formally later this spring. Troy

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