Offered on an irregular basis
PREREQUISITES:
MLIS and Dual MAS/MLIS: Completion of MLIS Core or permission of the iSchool Graduate Advisor
MAS: completion of MAS core and permission of the iSchool Graduate Advisor
GOAL: The goal of this course is to provide students with:
- a foundation in the theoretical issues surrounding the use of oral history as historical evidence and a research methodology,
- understanding of project management and planning issues and strategies,
- experience conducting and transcribing oral history interviews,
- comprehension of preservation and access issues for oral history collections, and
- the ability to articulate the value of oral history collections to archives and libraries.
OBJECTIVES:
Upon completion of this course students will be able to:
- Analyze the theoretical issues related to oral history and its use as historical evidence in a variety of contexts, including in archival and library settings.
- Assess the problems of validity and bias surrounding all forms of historical evidence, including oral history.
- Understand project planning issues, processes and strategies in the context of oral history projects.
- Conduct oral history interviews, including completing background research, recruiting narrator, formulating questions, and interviewing narrator.
- Apply current best practice standards for audio and visual recording of oral history interviews.
- Apply current best practice ethical standards and legal standards to planning and conducting oral history interviews.
- Discuss the legal and ethical issues surrounding the sharing and dissemination of oral history materials in a variety of contexts, including as legal evidence.
- Apply current best practice standards for transcribing and indexing recorded oral history interviews.
- Describe issues surrounding preservation of materials created during oral history interviews, including audio recordings, photographs, video recordings, and other associated materials.
- Explain issues surrounding access to oral history materials in a library or archival setting.
- Identify issues surrounding outreach using oral history materials in a library or archival setting.
- Consider the impact of cultural, social and economic difference on planning and implementing oral history projects, as well as processing and using oral history collections.
CONTENT:
This course will be divided into three sections: theory and methodology, planning and implementing oral history projects, and curating oral history.
- Theory and Methodology
- Theory
- Methodology: oral history and related methods
- Ethical and legal issues
- Background research, identifying potential interviewees, and formulating questions
- Recording equipment and standards
- Conducting interviews
- Transcription and Indexing
- Preservation Issues
- Access Issues
- Outreach using oral history materials
- Conclusions: writing history and culture using oral history materials
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