Giving voice to the past: digitizing oral history

摘要

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to describe the processes and procedures utilized byrnJacksonville State University's Houston Cole Library to digitize an oral history collection and providernaccess to it through the Library's catalog, web presence, and the state-wide digital repository initiative,rnAlabama Mosaic.rnDesign/methodology/approach - The paper is based on the Library's experiences in acquiring,rndigitizing, creating metadata for and making accessible a collection of oral histories.rnFindings - The paper describes the obstacles overcome, issues encountered, procedures established,rnand ramifications of the project.rnPractical implications - Many institutions are currently digitizing unique collections as part ofrnrepository initiatives, both institutional and collaborative. Effective practices and guidelines must berndeveloped in order to streamline the process and provide the most complete access to these uniquerncollections. The paper provides a practical model to address these issues.rnOriginality/value - The paper provides common practices for the digitization, creation of metadata,rnand provision of access for unique oral history collections; it also provides insights into issues that canrnarise and how best to address them.