Oral History and the Library of Ideas

How can I use oral history in creative ways?




Recording of the week: Debussy year

This week’s selection comes from Jonathan Summers, Curator of Classical Music Recordings. Claude Debussy died 100 years ago. Here is a recording made during his lifetime in 1915. It is a movement from his only String Quartet recorded by the London String Quartet. Debussy String Quartet – Andante Claude Debussy…




Linguistics at the Library – Episode 8

PhD placement students, Andrew Booth and Rowan Campbell write: Have you ever wondered how linguistic researchers find people to interview? In this final episode, Andrew and Rowan discuss the methods they use to carry out their research on the Isle of Man and Cardiff, and how these are different to…




The Evolving English collection – what’s in it?

PhD placement student Rowan Campbell writes: By 3rd April 2018 – which is, incidentally, seven years after the closing day of the exhibition – the Evolving English VoiceBank has reached 7,914 catalogued items. The last 2,100 of these have been accessioned by Andrew Booth and Rowan Campbell as part of…




Recording of the week: a continual symphony of sound

This week’s selection comes from Charlie Morgan, Oral History Archive & Administrative Assistant. Oral histories are often nostalgic; interviews tend to take place towards the end of an interviewees life and in many cases they are speaking about aspects of their life for the first time. In that respect Michael…