Presenters

Jodi Allison-Bunnell, Head of Archives and Special Collections; Emily O’Brien, Metadata and Mendery Specialist; and Taylor Boyd, Metadata & Collection Support Technician; Montana State University

Conor Casey, Head of the Labor Archives of Washington, University of Washington Libraries Special Collections

Description

Oral histories are often a vital component of special collections and archives as they capture firsthand accounts, personal perspectives, and cultural narratives that enrich the historical record and provide unique, irreplaceable insights into the past. We invite you to join us for a session focused on the essential strategies and practices that underpin successful oral history projects. This webinar will explore how defined workflows, collaboration, and adaptability can help libraries and archives manage these complex projects effectively and ensure high-quality outcomes.

Oral history projects require thoughtful planning and coordination to capture, preserve, administer, and make accessible valuable cultural and historical narratives. In this session, our presenters will highlight the importance of establishing clear workflows and fostering collaboration among stakeholders, including librarians, archivists, faculty, students, and community members.

Key topics will include:

• Developing structured workflows that support consistency, efficiency, and quality in oral history projects.
• The value of collaboration in bringing diverse perspectives and expertise to project planning and execution.
• Models for distributing work and creating shared understandings between project contributors. 
• Lessons learned from real-world projects, including the importance of early intervention, documentation, and adaptability.
• Build projects with permissions, file formats, and recording quality standards defined from the outset.
• The complementary role of AI tools in streamlining specific tasks, such as transcription, while maintaining the need for human oversight and expertise.

This webinar will provide practical guidance for professionals managing oral history projects, offering insights into how structured processes and teamwork can address common challenges, such as transcription quality, permissions and rights, resource allocation, and accessibility. While AI tools can enhance efficiency, the session will emphasize the continued importance of human expertise and collaboration in achieving project goals.

This session is ideal for library and archive professionals, project managers, and anyone involved in oral history initiatives who is seeking to optimize workflows and foster successful collaboration.

All affiliates of  OCLC Research Library Partnership organizations are invited to participate in live sessions. The recording is available to all.