Plan for January conference/crit day – Version One
The day has been split into two halves. The first half will be more orientated towards the National Trust and any other public history institutions, while the second half is more focused on how to innovate and design solutions for maintaining archives. Both sessions will be online and will be recorded. I will also use a virtual whiteboard to document ideas, questions, and thoughts from the participants.
Morning Session – Oral history at the National Trust
Aim:
The general aim of this session to inform participants on the current status of oral history at the National Trust and to get feedback on some of my work which illustrates the various elements of oral history maintenance and see how this may translate over to the collection processes and policy at the National Trust.
Starting activity:
Everyone is asked to write down what they think oral history is.
Part one: Oral history at the National Trust up to now
In the first part of the session we will look at the current situation of oral history at the National Trust, starting with asking the group if anyone has done or has knowledge of any oral history projects done by National Trust sites. This will be followed by me giving brief history of oral history at the National Trust and information on the National Trust sound collection at The British Library. With permission from The British Library I would like to share the spreadsheet I made during my placement and get small groups to explore the catalogue for a couple minutes. We will then end this part of the morning with a quick “brain dump” where any thoughts, questions, ideas are shared with the wider group.
Part two: The future of Oral History at the National Trust
The second part of the sessions starts with me sharing my general breakdown of what is required to maintain an oral history recording. After this the larger group is split into smaller groups again and they are asked to think how this might work within the context of the National Trust. To give the groups a bit of structure they are encouraged to think of the 5 Ws and 1 H questions (Who, What, When, Where, Why, and How), then think how they might answer these questions.
Ending activity:
Everyone is asked again to write down what they think oral history is.
Afternoon Session – Innovation and design in archives
Aim:
The aim of this session is for me to share my experience and ideas of designing in archives.
The group will think about what it means for designers to work in archives but also what we mean by a “successful” or “good” archive.
Starting activity:
Everyone is asked to write down what they think an archive is.
Part One: What we learn from designer in archives?
In the first part of the session the participants are split into smaller groups which are a mixture between archivists and designers. Each group is given a scenario about maintaining access to oral history. They are then asked to think about what they would do in this particular scenario and as a group have to come with a plan. The plans are then shared in the larger group. They then go back into their smaller groups and are asked to think about whether the designers or archivists learnt anything from each other. After the smaller groups feedback again, I briefly talk about my experience of being a designer working in archives, specifically my thoughts on design and maintenance.
Part Two: What is a good archive?
Leading on from my thoughts on maintenance and design, the group is task with critically thinking what success looks like within archives. The group is first asked what they write what they think the value of archives is and are then given another scenario to discuss in their smaller groups. The scenario they are given is a world where everything can be kept and is accessible, all issues around digital obsolescence, copyright and data protection have been solved, but the climate crisis is threatening the stability of the storage systems, decay, and destruction of original material is inevitable. To give the groups some structure they are given a concepts and ideas matrix to sort their thoughts. After coming together as a big group again and feed backing, the whole group is asked whether the ideas and concepts they came up with reflect what they believe the value of archival material is.
Ending activity:
Everyone again writes what they think an archive is.
Version 2
Introduction to my PhD (General) – 15 mins
Story of the current collection PLUS values – 10 mins
Q and A – 5 mins to 10 mins
What value can oral history recordings give to the collections on sites? – 20 mins
Feedback – 10 mins
—————————————————— BREAK 5 mins
Issues with archiving and storing of OH at NT – 10 mins
Q and A – 5 mins to 10 mins
What resources do we need to make the flow from recording to archived easier? – 20 mins
Feedback – 10 mins
________________________________________ BREAK 5 mins
Legacy and knowledge transfer – 5 mins
Q and A – 5 mins to 10 mins
How do we make it easier to reuse oral history recordings? – 20 mins
Feedback – 10 mins
__________________________
Wrap up and thanks – 10 mins
Close
Workshop Blurb
A look into Oral History at the National Trust
Wednesday 31st Jan 2024
14:00 – 17:00
Online
This workshop is a culmination of three years of research into the past, present, and future of Oral History at the National Trust. It will take you through the stories found in the sound collection of 1700 recordings archived at The British Library, and the experience of recording Oral History on a National Trust site today. It will also offer insight into the opportunities and obstacles of recording future Oral History at the National Trust. The workshop aims to create a discourse around the rich, yet awkward resource of Oral History, how it can enrich the stories told by the National Trust, and the practical side of recording, archiving, and using such a personal artefact.
Hannah James Louwerse is completing her Collaborative Doctoral Award at Newcastle University. Her project is partnered with Seaton Delaval Hall where she has recorded oral histories from the community. She also completed a placement at The British Library auditing the National Trust’s large sound collection.