ABSTRACT
The final stages in the oral history life cycle are preserving the oral history and making it accessible to users. Historical organizations serving as repositories often play a paramount role in these final parts of the process. Developing written transcripts of oral history interviews is a relatively common step for historical organizations. In the case of oral-visual history project, the size of the video files necessary to document an oral language became an issue for the repository. Many historical organizations serve as repositories for their own projects as well as for projects or sets of interviews developed by other organizations or individuals. The Minnesota Historical Society, in addition to running an oral history program, preserves and provides access to many oral histories. Archiving involves curating interviews for long-term preservation to ensure future use and access. Preserving and providing access to oral histories, contributes to the documentation of the cultural heritage of our communities and nation.
