Presentations and video from 22 October 2019 wider local studies online meeting
Talks
Jo Oliver, Wollongong Libraries, New South Wales. Oral history interviews with Aboriginal people presentation available here
Rochelle Bull, Gympie Regional Libraries, Queensland, Gympie's Hotels' presentation available here
Teishan Ahearne, Moreland City Libraries, Victoria‘The People’s History of Brunswick’ presentation available here
Kathy Shilvock, Fraser Coast, Queensland Measuring Access and Engagement– Fraser Coast Libraries Local History presentation available here
Online discussion using chat will explore the following area.
How are you collecting current or recent natural disasters? These could include but not be limited to drought, bushfires, floods or cyclones
Do you take pictures at the time of the disaster?
How soon is too soon to start recording oral histories?
How do you make sure a range of voices/visions are included?
What would you do differently next time?
How would you start recording current disasters (if you haven’t)?
Wider local studies
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#1 How are you collecting current or recent natural disasters? These could include but not be limited to drought, bushfires, floods or cyclones
Passively
Retrospectively
Haven’t had any to contend with in suburban Perth, WA
Retrospectively
Not currently, but having just had a significant bushfire event, wondering how so interested to hear how others are approaching this.
Not currently, but having just had a significant bushfire event, wondering how so interested to hear how others are approaching this.
Nothing yet we are luck so far
As supplied by other people I do not actively collect clippings or oral accounts
Identify individuals in the community who are prepared to take and share photos
I wonder though about approaching the local fire brigades
It depends on circumstances and location, but generally retrospectively.
Still collecting for Black Saturday ten years on, particularly published books
SLQ has a 5 year collection plan, and environmental and regional are two of our main categories.
We are currently not actively collecting natural disaster material. Anything retrospectively gets collected
I've recently taken on this role so absorbing and collecting everything that comes to mind. Big job for a 1 person team
Question for Geoff: how do you do this sensitively? ie so as not to offend people who may have been directly affected
A professional photographer was employed after one disaster as staff were too busy in recovery mode
I have a good relationship with community members interested in local history in particular
retrospectively - enough that there are reports, books, photographs etc we can source
We are currently not collecting specifically in that area
'Retrospectively' can mean 'until the end of time'.
It would be interesting to capture - at the time of event - five years after - ten years after - 25 years after etc (if we were in the position for long enough
I think it is important to gather stories and photos soon after the event
We rely on regional areas to contact us as they know their communities better than we do. They are the experts
#1 We also commission people to take photos, we purchase material and partner, and receive donations
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I had a few people who were happy to give us their videos, images. I also worked with a lady who compiled a collections of stories about experiences about the 2011 flood. she then published a book.
A#1 In our region, physical access to areas can be a challenge (if not incredibly dangerous) soon after an event.
yes, not suggesting people put themselves or other people in danger - that is a key point
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#2 Do you take pictures at the time of the disaster?
#2 As far as possible I go out and take photographs in the aftermath of a disaster, but not until area declared safe
#2 I spent several days travelling around areas affected by the Newcastle Disease outbreak in the early 2000s. Turns out that our photos are really the only major series documenting the event. If you can document a disaster, it will pay dividends collection-wise.
#2 I even take pictures locally where I live, which is different to where I work and share * with my colleague who is the LHL where I work :)
Had a huge storm in 2010 and had a competition for photos and stories of it but i was just after the event and \i think people were in shock and trying to repair the damage. Next time, I’d try to get photos of the event at the time myself (and ask friends). I am thinking of trying to collect memories on the 10 year anniversary
#2 Our local paper takes lots of photos of dust storms or anything out of the ordinary, #2 The newspaper lets us have copyright on things we ask for
#We purchased Amanda Gearing's collection of the 2011 Brisbane and Lockyer Valley floods, she documented the impact at the time and then went back 5 years later to follow up with the community
#2 Probably a good idea to keep an eye on the NLA's page on that photo sharing site, can't think what it is called at the moment. But people post on there and the NLA chooses which photos to add to their collection. I bet people would post natural disaster photos on there for sure
#2 you can also add photos to Flickr, join the Trove community to be searchable via Trove
Yes it does sound amazing work Jacinta, that of Amanda Gering. Wow. She is a local treasure
#2 Our local council area is very large in distance/area and widespread in all directions - 1 hour west, 1 hour to coast. 30 mins south. If it's a flood, we are very limited with access.
PLS1 agreed, these kinds of tragedies highlight the resilience of our communities
#2 also recently I was doing biographical research on a WWI soldier, so not a recent disaster, but a search on Facebook for the cemetery's name in which my soldier was buried brought up a picture of his gravestone in France! Not an easy photo to get. So I think don't underestimate what Facebook has on offer
Re #2 Rochelle, that would make it hard in Gympie. Meaning to be funny - should your library have a range of row boats for hire do you think?
I'd prefer a helicopter licence, Rosemary. haha. But does make me think about the use of drone photography.
is any one (safely) using drones (and not in a way which is a problem for the emergency)?
a colleague researching stained glass has even used a drone inside churches (with permission) to photograph the tall glass windows
RE: DRONES. I need to talk to the local real estate photographers who use them.
Our council has a drone operator who uses it extensively for things like noxious weed mapping. Perhaps they could take on this sort of thing?
#3 How soon is too soon to start recording oral histories?
#3 Even a year can be too soon. Black Saturday impacted our area 10 years and even now some people find it difficult to discuss
#3 for the ten year anniversary recently of Black Saturday we had staff at our Whittlesea library including myself with equipment set up if people wished to be interviewed. We had visitors come in who wanted to use the library but were from S.A. who proceeded to tell us how their school partnered with one on our local schools and the wonderful relationship that followed. It was a great and unexpected story we were able to record.
#3 I am wary of doing a display of the 1994 bushfires on the Central Coast. If i did one I would have a “If this display raises issues for you contact lifeline etc.” a talk I give on a 1959 Manhunt in our area last year raised issues for someone who was quite young when it happened. you never can tell how people will be affected.
#3 I think depending on what you are asking about, never too soon. A death might be different
3# For a long time after the event (at least a year) it was very sensitive but we also had many enquiries about it. Our clippings helped answer those in the early days.
#3 My brother still talks about black Saturaday like it was yesterday. He was one of the electrical ppl allowed into the area. These stories should be captured before the people get to old or pass away.
#3 A way to talk to key people from emergency services might be to make an approach to the “Retired firemen's association” or similar for your area. There is a Retired Police association in my local area.
#4 How do you make sure a range of voices/visions are included?
#4 Having contacts within the community makes it easier to include a range of diverse voices. Important to remember that new voices and views are constantly arriving.
Do libraries run writing workshops to help people record their own stories
our library has 'Writing Friday's, every 2nd and 4th Friday. It's hosted by our Client Services Librarian who is also an author and gives tasks, guidance and information. They do writing activities and share.
I am mindful in this discussion about disasters that a sensitivity exists that a facilitator would have to be comfortable with and perhaps even be ran by a suitably qualified person not just in writing ?
#4 might be good to keep in good communications with your LGA's team that does the Citizenship ceremonies
I think we have a role also in curating and collecting content collected and published by others: newspapers, newsletters, Facebook groups, YouTube clips
I found the aftermath of the storm collectable because it only damaged the posh western suburbs of Perth so cartoonists, amateur dramatics etc mocked the status symbol that a hail damaged car had become.
#4 We maintain our networks and empower communities to document and digitise. Annette Burns contacted in Feb after the floods in Townsville and our Preservation team provided preservation guides and disaster responses resources created by SLQ
So true - we do have a responsibility to collect the varied opinions, meaning other things like the newspaper articles etc. It is just so hard to get people to donate as I am sure we all know
#5 What would you do differently next time?
Watching this chat scroll down the screen has inspired Cheryl and I to think about adding a small 'disaster collecting policy' to our actual disaster plan for the collection. Chances are, they may need to take place simultaneously.
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I think we have to be “proactive” all the time. We meet people and come across information all the time, sometimes quite randomly where we have an opportunity to collect and preserve the story.
So true. Everyone here probably grabs pamphlets, is constantly on the look our for ephemera and photo ops even on their daily personal routines :)
#6 How might you start recording current disasters (if you haven’t)?
#6 I would try to nurture relations with the local fire control centre, police etc.
#6 I start by creating a timeline and then fill in with articles, photos, etc.
#6 I have a timeline of drownings in the Swan River- sounds morbid but has links to Trove articles which helps me to find info I need quickly
your Swan River list sounds macabrely fascinating! Just in time for Halloween! Hope you can share that link
#6 Perhaps try and catch things on social media
#6 Start by contacting the locals involved and encouraging a proactive relationship
social media can be very useful for this
You can add outside web links to Trove lists too
I like the concept of starting your “life story” with a life changing event instead of being chronological.
There was a good article in the latest Traces magazine about writing your family story and it emphasised telling the life changing event stories too
#6Put the call out to the public for anything they wish to donate. We have done this in the past and had great response.
Perhaps libraries should also be harnessing the leverage from our own social media channels and take over from marketing ourselves to asking for information. Photos are an easy thing people can share when the disaster happens
People will probably remember seeing the dramatic and poignant gravestones in cemeteries where the monumental inscription says something like “lost to the terrible fire that burnt down half the town” or “fell down a well and suffered greatly for two weeks before dying of a putrification”
so definitely natural disasters and other disasters put 'flesh on the bones'
#6 Don’t overlook published accounts down the line. We are still collecting for Black Saturday
#6old film footage We have a great piece showing undertakers rowing offins to the cemetery during the 1956 floods of the Murray river.
#7 Any other comments about collecting disasters?
#7 Don’t forget that we should be also thinking about managing a disaster in our libraries if one was to happen. Do you have a plan?
History Harvest - formal or informal event/period for targeting donations for collection - photos, documents, oral histories etc. Target a specific local area/region or a specific event/building, etc.
Thank you for a insightful talk on collecting for natural disasters. Great presentations across a range of local studies.
#7 I wish that there was a better way (any way?) to access film content about disasters in the National Film and Sound Archive. There is occasionally content on Youtube which you can view, or approach the creator to include in your collection.
#7 we have a plan and a full “disaster recovery bin” which came into use when an airconditioner leaked water on some maps on the table underneath
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