Oral History Committee Annual Report 2020

submitted by Therese Dickman, Chair

Current Roster

  • Therese Dickman, Chair (2021)
  • Melissa Wertheimer, Ex officio
  • Marci Cohen (2020)
  • Elwood “Woody” Colahan (2021)
  • Robert DeLand (2022)
  • Kathleen Haefliger (2020)
  • Treshani Perera (2020)
  • Sara Wallace (2022)
  • Lynne Weber (2021)

List of Previous Goals and Progress Made

  • Strengthen MLA’s Oral History Archives (2017 MLA Strategic Goal). To be proactive in identifying potential interviewees. OHC members currently strive to interview former MLA Presidents, MLA Citation Awardees and others who have contributed significantly to MLA.
    • Marci Cohen interviewed former MLA President, Michael Colby, on February 28, 2020, at the MLA annual meeting in Norfolk, VA, and transcribed an abridged version for submission to the MLA Newsletter.
    • Michael Rogan was also initially interviewed by Kathleen Haefliger on February 28, 2020.
    • Treshani Perera is in the process of completing transcripts of interviews she conducted of Vincent Pelote and Judy Tsou.
  • Outreach and Advocacy Goals: To work directly with local MLA Chapters to archive their stories in a timely manner. (Begun; continuing in 2020-21)
    • Sara Wallace has been transcribing an interview of Elaine Weeks recorded during the Pacific Northwest chapter meeting in Seattle.
    • Elwood “Woody” Colahan conducted several interviews of MLA members in the Denver area.
  • Access, Education and Advocacy Goals: To make existing prepared MLA oral history project interviews available in audio and/or transcript form to the MLA membership and general public. The chair and Woody Colahan collaborated with the web master to begin designing an OHC blog that provides the structure and support needed to post approved and completed oral history transcripts and audio files. Computer and web knowledge, guidance and support are vital to the success of this goal. New audio and video technology will be used to gather enhanced interviews, and existing OHC webpages redesigned to provide a “hub” to gather and link to available MLA and chapter oral history interview content. (Begun and ongoing into FY2020-21)

List of Future Goals

  • Strengthen MLA’s Oral History Archives (2017 MLA Strategic Goal) (Primary, ongoing OHC goal)
    • Identify, conduct, record, and transcribe MLA oral history project interviews (e.g. COVID-19 impact on MLA member work/teaching experiences in 2020-21), striving to include diverse and underrepresented members.
    • Coordinate with the MLA Archivist to deposit collected MLA Oral History Project original materials or an archival copy  of “born digital” oral history interview audio WAV files.
    • $300 requested and approved for travel support to obtain identified oral history interviews.
    • Employ new Zoom audio and video technology given COVID health concerns this year, using best practices.
  • Organizational Excellence Goal:
    • Adopt a committee chair succession plan–a 2-year senior and 2-year junior chair model–to ensure improved continuity of leadership and OHC sustainability. (Approved by the MLA Board in October, 2020).
    • Identify new members to fill new OHC member openings and OHC select “senior” and “junior” chairs-elect for 2021.
  • Outreach Goal: Work directly with local MLA Chapters to archive their stories in a timely manner.
    • The OHC chair will contact all the MLA chapter presidents to encourage the gathering of oral history interviews, and assisted by the MLA Archivist, provide guidance as to the process of doing so.
  • Education and Advocacy Goal:  Sponsor a 2021 MLA Annual Meeting Program Session to help meet the OHC educational mission.
    • Co-sponsoring Melissa Wertheimer’s program session, “Stories, Sounds, and Snapshots: Institutional memories  and the archives that keep them.” (Archives and Special Collections Committee also sponsoring)
  • Access, Education and Advocacy Goals: To make existing prepared MLA oral history project interviews available in audio and/or transcript form to the MLA membership and general public. The chair and Woody Colahan are collaborating with the web master to design an OHC blog on the new MLA server that provides the structure and support needed to post approved and completed oral history transcripts and audio files. Computer and web knowledge, guidance and support are vital to the success of this goal. New audio and video technology will be used to gather enhanced interviews, and existing OHC webpages redesigned to provide a “hub” to gather and link to available MLA and chapter oral history interview content. (Continuing this year.)