Oral History Review

FEATURE – Checking In With Google Books, HathiTrust, and the DPLA

Google Books and HathiTrust have been making headlines in the library world and beyond for years now, while a new player, the Digital Public Library of America (DPLA), has only recently entered the scene. This article will provide a “state of the environment” update for these digital library projects including project history and background. It will also examine some challenges common to all three projects including copyright, orphan works, metadata, and quality issues.

A Great Guide on How to Cite Social Media Using Both MLA and APA styles

oupacademic:

Oxford DNB biography podcast: The Unknown Warrior (d.1914?), an unidentified British soldier of the First World War, buried in Westminster Abbey, London.

‘On armistice day, 11 November 1920, draped with a union flag, the coffin of the Unknown Warrior was placed on a gun carriage at Victoria Station and, attended by admirals, field marshals, and generals, processed through immense and silent crowds to the new Cenotaph in Whitehall. The king, as chief mourner, placed a wreath on the coffin.’

The story of the Unknown Warrior is one of 190 episodes available from the Oxford DNB’s biography podcast archive: new episodes are released every second Wednesday. Receive a daily life by email, or follow the ODNB on Twitter.

Image credit:The Unknown Warrior at Westminster Abbey, London, 7 November 1920, via Wikimedia Commons.

pbsthisdayinhistory:

November 11, 1918: World War I Ends

On this day in 1918, World War I ended after Germany signed an armistice agreement with the Allies in a railroad car in Compiegne, France.

Known as the Great War due to its unprecedented nature, the international conflict began after the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, heir to the Austro-Hungarian Empire, and his wife in June 1914.

Explore WETA’s “The Great War” site to learn how those four years shaped the 20^th century.

Photo: World War I Vet. Parade (Library of Congress)

In celebration of Veterans Day, we’re pleased to share a conversation between Oral History Review managing editor Troy Reeves and Dr. Robert P. Wettemann Jr., director of the US Air Force Academy Center for Oral History. A historian at heart, Wettemann shares his thoughts on the importance of preserving veterans’ stories, using oral history to get the insider’s perspective, and turning history into a “usable past.” He discusses the Center’s on-going project to document the Air Force Academy’s role in the 2012 & 2013 Colorado Springs, CO wildfires, and previous work done to collect experiences from September 11th. Enjoy!

usnatarchives:

What document would an archivist save from a zombie attack? Find out this month as we profile our archivists at the Presidential libraries for American Archives Month.

Today’s featured archivist is Matthew Schaefer, outreach archivist for the Herbert Hoover Presidential Library and Museum. What documents would Schaefer grab in the face of a zombie?

“If slow zombies were shuffling across the prairie toward the Hoover Library, I’d get the key to our specially protected records storage area [two minutes forty seconds], grab the reading copy of Hoover’s inaugural address [forty-five seconds], lace-up my Asics, and head north over the creek [one minute].

If fast zombies threatened, I’d grab oversize album 19, the photographic record of the Hoover Dam. While its 18-pound heft would slow my escape, it might prove useful as a bludgeon or shield.”

Read more about Matthew Schaefer and the work he does here: http://go.usa.gov/DhNT

Guest Post: Highlights from the Oral History Conference

Digital humanities was alive and well at the 2013 annual meeting of the Oral History Association in Oklahoma City, driven by archivists’ use of digital technologies to enable their use and engagement with the public

In case you missed it, SOHP’s Seth Kotch did a great write-up for AHA on the 2013 OHA Annual Meeting.

Considering your digital resume – OUPblog

By Steven Sielaff Throughout my time as Oral History Review (OHR) editorial assistant at the Oral History Association’s (OHA) annual conference in Oklahoma City, OK, I saw a number of prevailing themes. In the recent past, the push towards digitization and web-based portals has dominated the professional landscape. This was certainly the case again at this year’s conference.

This week, Steven Sielaff reflects on the OHA’s 2013 Annual Meeting, and how we make room for digital scholarship in academia.

In addition to serving as our temporary editorial assistant at the OHA conference, Steven is a university researcher at Baylor University’s Institute for Oral History. You can (should!) follow him on twitter at @sksielaff.

Milwaukee Transgender Oral History Project

uwmarchives:

Happy National Coming Out Day!

Click on the link above to listen to oral histories of eight people sharing Milwaukee’s transgender community and its history. They are social activists, organizational leaders, healthcare workers, service providers, and performers. Individuals self-identify across a broad spectrum of gender identities, and some resist gender identification entirely. Topics covered include transgender people and the feminist movement, the intersection of transgender identity and sexual orientation, transgender healthcare, coming out, and community organizations.