Oral history as archive sources

Abstract

Oral history is of interest to various cultural institutions - museums, libraries, archives, research institutes. Depending on these institutions' activity profiles, oral history are treated differently and take different places in their collections and holdings. Since many documents about the life and activity of the Polish society went missing as a result of the Second World War and the post-war political system (censorship, destruction of 'inconvenient' files), oral history can be a valuable supplementary source. Despite constant development of technology and increasingly sophisticated methods of sound and image recording, oral testimonies are considered only supplementary material, not of equal value to other collected sources. The existing resources all need to be arranged and classified, and exchange of information and experience, not only within a single archival network but amongst all interested institutions, should be made possible. The purpose of this article is to put together a list of problems related to oral testimonies in all the archives which collect or may collect them.