Oral History - How to Use the Collection

Locating and Requesting Interviews
To locate interviews in the Oral History Research Office [OHRO] Collection, please consult listings either through the CLIO, Columbia University's online card catalog, or the manual card catalog in the Office. Interviews in the Collection are catalogued in two divisions: biographical (i.e., individual), and those which are part of a larger project. If you are coming from a great distance, please contact the OHRO in advance to confirm that the interview you wish to see is available.

Helpful Tips for Searching CLIO

If you know the name of the interviewee you are looking for, search via "Title." Enter the phrase "Reminiscences of _____" and insert the interviewee's name.
If you know the topic that you are looking for but not a name, search via "Keyword." Enter the phrase HKEY "oral" and type the subject in quotes.
If you would like to browse all of our collection, search via "Keyword." Enter the phrase HKEY "oral" and a full listing of our holdings should appear.

The catalog listing on CLIO will appear in "Brief View." To read more about the project or interviewee, click on "Full View." This will provide you with a summary of the interview or project content.

There are two basic manual search strategies for materials in the OHRO Collection. The first is to search the card catalog for interviewees or projects that pertain to a desired topic. Secondly, the Master Biographical Index may be used for an expanded search. This Index contains every name mentioned in the Collection, citing the interview and page number. This is one of our most valuable searching aids. A manual subject index does not exist, but subject listings can be searched using Library of Congress subject headings on RLIN. The RLIN project identification for OHRO is NXCP, and our interviews are catalogued in the AMC format.

Determining Permission Status
Once you have located a desired interview, you must determine its permission status. Interviews marked "Permission Required to Cite or Quote" (PRCQ) or Open, are available for reading. Interviews marked "Permission Required to See" (PRTS or PR) require written permission from the interviewee or other designated person. Interviews may also be Closed. If an interview is marked anything but PRCQ or Open it is advisable to ask Office staff to check the current status of the interview. Interviews marked "Micro" have been micropublished and may be ordered. Tell a staff member if you would like to place a microfiche order.

When you have located interviews you wish to see, you will be asked to fill out a registration form and a call slip for each interview.

Photocopying
All interviews with copyright held by the OHRO may be photocopied for you by the OHRO staff at a cost of $.20 per page. Most interviews that are marked PRCQ or Open are copyrighted to this Office, and we hold copyrights to all the microfiched interviews. Interviews catalogued as PRTS, and some marked PRCQ, require explicit written permission to photocopy over and above permission to read. Staff will assist you in locating the proper person to write to for this permission.

If you are visiting the archive, please submit your photocopy request and payment directly to the OHRO. Photocopy orders may also be placed over the telephone or via e-mail. All orders must be prepaid by check or cash. Orders over $20 may also be paid for via Visa or Mastercard. Orders may be picked up in person or mailed to you for a small postage and handling fee.

Permission to Cite or Quote
If you plan to use an interview in a published work or commercial production, you must secure our permission to cite or quote. In most cases your publisher will ask you to secure such permissions. In order to do so, please submit to us the pages of the manuscript in which the interview is quoted as well as the three preceding and following pages. We will check the citation and issue a letter of permission. This procedure takes at least four weeks. The suggested form of citation is: Reminiscences of _______________ (date of the interview), on pages ________ in the Columbia University Oral History Research Office Collection (hereafter CUOHROC). For commercial productions, please write us describing your project and the words you wish to use. Any use beyond standards of "fair use" may require a fee.

Access to Audio Tapes
In addition to transcripts, we have audio tapes on file for roughly three-fourths of the Collection. If you are interested in listening to or using a tape, please let us know in advance. If a tape is available, we will order it from our off-site storage facility and have it for you within two weeks. When it arrives, we will provide listening equipment and a room for your convenience. If the tape is in an outmoded or fragile format (i.e. 7" reel), it will first have to be converted to a digital format by an audio specialist who will bill you directly. The cost to digitize less than 4 reels or tapes is $75 per reel. The cost to digitize 4 or more reels or tapes is $50 per reel.

In cases where the tape and the transcript differ, the tape is provided for background use only. All citations must come from the transcript. Commercial use of tapes is governed by additional restrictions. Please ask the advice of the OHRO staff if you have questions concerning these procedures.