Getting Started with Oral History

After completing oral history interviews, it is important to think about the care and upkeep of recordings and other collected materials. Making copies of these materials and storing them in multiple locations can keep them safe and preserved for future use or reference (remember: LOCKSS, or “Lots Of Copies Keep Stuff Safe!”). Important materials that you may want to consider storing include your interview recording, copies of release and consent forms, written notes from interviews, pre interview planning, a photo of your narrator (if given consent), and any other information you would want to preserve for future research.

When thinking about how to preserve your interview files, it is important to consider the following:

• Privacy: Who will be able to access interview files? Would they need to be protected in any way, such as with a password?

• Ownership: How will you ensure that everyone involved in the interviews retains their ownership during the storage process? Does the storage option you choose take ownership over files?

• Accessibility: How easy is it to find and open the files on your chosen storage method?

• Longevity: How reliable is the storage method? Storage options like flash drives are easily lost and corrupted, for example.

What Should I Preserve? 
With oral history, you should work to preserve the following materials:

• The original, unedited recording
• Edited version(s) of the recording
• A project description
• A copy of each consent and release form (one for every interviewer and one for every narrator)
• Notes or other documentation that you have created in the course of your project
• Photographs that you have taken over the course of the interview
• Any other materials relevant to your project

Ideally, you want to ensure that these oral history materials are adequately stored, described, maintained, and accessible. While personal projects do not need to adhere to professional archival standards, it may be helpful to look to these best practices for guidance. 

Learn more: Oral History Association, Archiving Oral History: Manual of Best Practices, 2019.

When you are ready to store interview files, we recommend the following options/procedures:

• Transferring files to a computer hard drive into an appropriate, named folder

• Putting a copy of your file on a separate hard drive, such as a flash drive

• Using online file sharing and storage services such as Google Drive, Dropbox, Microsoft OneDrive, or iCloud to store file copies

While using a combination of these methods can help keep files safe, it is important to remember that digitally preserving files does not mean they will last forever. As technology ages, problems can arise, both with devices and file formats. This is why it is important to keep documents and files in multiple locations and continuously check and update file copies to ensure they are still functional. Data storage and upkeep is a process.

• Name your files: Rather than keep the automatically generated file names, assign names to your files that will help you know what they are at a glance. Be consistent with your naming conventions, as this will help you stay organized. 
  • Tip: Starting your file name with a date helps you sort your materials chronologically. Include keywords, like the name of the narrator or an important subject or event. Example: 2023.01.06  Elizabeth Bennet interview with Fitzwilliam Darcy
• Follow the 3-2-1 Rule: Keep 3 copies of each file, save them in 2 different storage media (for example, a cloud storage folder and an external hard drive), and keep 1 set of copies offsite (for example, on a memory card or external hard drive that you store at a family member’s home). This might sound excessive, but keeping multiple copies in multiple places can help ensure the safety of your project.
• Document your system: Create some basic documentation, such as a dedicated word document, of the location, content, and methods used to create your backup files. This documentation should be easy to access and easy to connect to the materials. This practice helps to ensure that your hard work is both useful and effective. 
• What is cloud storage? Services like Google Drive, Dropbox, Apple iCloud, Microsoft OneDrive, and others maintain a network of servers all over the world. When you use one of these services to store files in the cloud, your files live online. This means that you can access these on any device with an internet connection, and you’re not using storage space on your own device.
• Copy your files to a new storage device every 5 years. Technology changes quickly, so regularly checking in on your files and updating your storage method helps ensure that future generations can access your interviews. 
• Consider donating to a repository. This step is entirely optional! Archives, libraries, and museums have policies and practices in place to ensure the long-term preservation of oral histories and other materials of historic value. Each individual repository will also have policies in place that dictate what materials are appropriate to add to their collections. You can reach out directly to an archivist, librarian, or museum professional to inquire about their donation policies and determine if your project is a good fit. 

Remember: If you plan to donate your project materials to a repository, you must have the consent of your project participants.

Learn More:

• Jessica Elliott, What Is the 3-2-1 Backup Rule?, US Chamber of Commerce, October 6, 2021.
• Metropolitan New York Library Council, Preserve This Podcast, 2020.
• Oral History Association Archives Principles and Best Practices Task Force, Archiving Oral History: Manual of Best Practices, Oral History Association, 2019.
• Library of Congress, Personal Archiving: Preserving Your Digital Memories.

There are many options for making your oral history project publicly accessible. Video and audio files may be published to websites for others to access. Consider the following options for putting interviews on the internet:

• Soundcloud
• YouTube
• Vimeo
• Internet Archive

These websites allow users to easily upload and share oral histories both privately and publicly. Be sure to check user agreements and terms of service agreements before using a website to ensure that your data, privacy, and property are protected. If you do choose to do this, it is important to obtain consent from any narrators involved in your interview before making any interviews publicly accessible. Please see the Informed Consent and Consent and Release Form sections of this guide for more information.

Another option for publicizing oral histories to the public is donating recordings to a repository (a museum, archive, historical society, library, or other institution). If you would like to donate interview materials, a good place to start would be speaking to a BPL reference librarian; a staff person can offer suggestions about possible repositories that might be a good fit for your project. Repositories can also be found through online searches, or in connection with local museums and archives.

It is important to note that many repositories will only collect materials that can fit within their collections and may require extra information and paperwork. If donating your materials is a major part of your end goal, it would be helpful to contact and work closely with your repository of choice throughout your project. Before donating, be sure that participants of your project are aware of your intentions to donate and agree to the use of their contributions and the repository you choose to house them in.