Transcription
Getting the words from the recording into a text document.
Express Scribe: Free transcription software
New (to me): Express Scribe, software to transcribe audio. Cross platform, Windows and Mac. Works with key commands or keyboard pedal. Worth looking into. Linked post says to watch out for all the upgrade offers: This free software is “bait” to get you to buy other stuff.
Posted by Susan A. Kitchens in
• Transcription
(1) Comments •
Permalink
Veterans History Project casts wide net
The Veterans History Project is casting a wide net for 20th and 21st century wartime stories. The project is soliciting submissions from veterans —and civilians who directly participated — during the conflicts of WWI, WW2, Korean War, Vietnam War, Persian Gulf War, and wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. Back in April of this year, Sarah Rouse, Senior Program Officer of the VHP, spoke at the Southwest Oral History Association’s annual meeting. Rouse described the project’s wide scope.
While many oral history projects are focused on a limited population, the Veterans History Project stands with the Slave Narrative Collection, the 1930’s WPA effort to record the recollections of as many living former slaves as possible, or the Shoah Project, which collects personal narratives of those survivors of the Nazi holocaust. Like these other collections, the Veterans History Project’s purpose is to collect, archive and curate as many personal recollections as it possibly can.
I like the fact that this national effort, funded by Congress and run through the Library of Congress’s American Folk Life division, is rooted in family oral history. Congressman Ron Kind of Wisconsin was at a family picnic when his dad and uncle began to talk about their wartime experiences. He said “wait!” and grabbed a videocamera, in order to get the stories so his sons could see them when they grew older.
“What inspired me... Read More
Posted by Susan A. Kitchens in
• Oral History Services
• Transcription
• Veterans History Project
(1) Comments •
Permalink
Listen & Type: A good transcription tool
I downloaded Listen & Type last night. It’s a handy transcription tool for Mac OS (Shareware. $15. 20 days’ tryout time). I’ve mentioned it before. But oh, it bears mentioning again. (Later today I’ll post the results of that transcription session). It takes a few minutes to adjust to after launch, but then you’re up and runni— er, typing.
When you first launch Listen & Type, an Open dialog box appears, directing you to open a sound or movie file. (Listen & Type works with any media file that QuickTime can work with.)
Once you locate and open your media file, a new window appears, with playback controller and a small button labeled “Front.” Here’s the part that makes the app both tricky and wonderful: The window with the sound file floats above other windows on your screen. Once you click anywhere on the screen after it first opens, the Listen & Type window, though floating on top, is not the “active” window. Open up any text editor and that window is active. You can type to transcribe the speech while using a set of key commands to control the playback.
The tricky part: The window is in front, but it’s not the active application. Once some other application is... Read More
Posted by Susan A. Kitchens in
• Audio
• Audio: Software
• Transcription
(0) Comments •
Permalink
Granddad blogging: Oral history project
The Vol Abroad blog posts weekly entries of transcripts from interviewing her Grandpa. Lots from WW2, and Tennessee. I’ve read the first few posts, and Granddad blogging looks to make for one of those great read-it-all-in-one-sitting stops on the web….well, until you catch up to where she is now. New installments every Tuesday.
From Vol Abroad’s introduction to the series:
I have started with the WWII transcripts, because that’s where we started recording, but I will also share other stories, some of which cover aspects of Tennessee history that I have not seen recorded. I had promised my grandfather that I would give the recordings and transcripts to the University of Tennessee, which I haven’t done (yet), but in the meantime, I am publishing them here.
Posted by Susan A. Kitchens in
• Afterwards
• Online Oral History Collections
• Transcription
(0) Comments •
Permalink
Controversy over Brooklyn neighborhood oral history project
Queen Ledger: Historical Underground Railroad meets Redevelopment meets Eminent Domain meets Oral History. Result: Embattled and embittered. The oral histories are part of the battle between city and residents, and methods used in the oral history have become a part of the controversy.
The Duffield Street neighborhood was the site of the underground railroad. Should all the homes be bought by the city and sold to a developer to be made into a parking lot?
At the fight’s core is a dispute between residents and the city about whether houses along Duffield Street were part of the Underground Railroad, and thus part of a crucial piece of national history that should be preserved.
The latest saga in this fierce battle between the city and its residents centers around collecting a proper oral history of the neighborhood. Residents claim that the oral history recorded by the city is false and riddled with errors.
Oral histories were recorded in late December 2005 and early January 2006. Residents were given transcripts of the interviews and allowed two weeks to review them for accuracy.
Residents aren’t happy with what they’re reading. They think it’s a deliberate attempt to... Read More
Posted by Susan A. Kitchens in
• Oral history in the news
• Transcription
(0) Comments •
Permalink