Information on conducting "virtual" oral history interviews in light of the COVID-19 pandemic.
During these challenging times, we have encountered this question often as people look for ways to continue the work they were previously doing in a remote fashion. While VHP has not officially changed any of our policies, we recognize that these unique times require flexibility. Submissions that meet existing file format standards, and are accompanied by required documentation will be accepted.
Guidance and resources can be found on the Folklife Today Blog (we update this post periodically with the latest information):
- "Conducting Virtual Oral History Interviews in Light of the Covid-19 Pandemic" (Folklife Today Blog, June 15, 2020)
Additionally, recent work done by the Oral History Association has drawn focus to this issue out of necessity, and they have published useful information on their website about this topic. We would ask that you review their resources for help in establishing guidelines for this type of effort, as well as consulting their helpful ‘Decision Tree’ as you forge ahead. It helps determine the best options for continuing to conduct interviews, and if remote interviewing is the best path forward—how to try and get the best out of the process.
Finally, VHP continues to accept interview submission on DVDs, in addition to USB/Flash drives.
If you have any additional questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out, and we will do our best to assist.