How the Memory Bank works
The Collecting Programme
In order to direct and inform the work of the Memory Bank team, a Collecting and Documentation Policy was prepared by a team of experts. This policy still informs what the Archive and Local History Service will consider as potential additions to the Memory Bank.
Collecting and Documentation Policy
Memories allsorts
Memory Bank projects varied widely. Some were one to one or group conversations recorded on audio tape. Others consisted of video footage with commentary on Borders festivals. In addition the Memory Bank is interested in memories recorded as written accounts, as pieces of art work or as dramatic performances. In other words the Memory Bank is a multi-media archive where the records are stored digitally. The Memory Bank does not, however, collect or store objects, documents or photographs as artefacts but these remain with their rightful owners. Nor does the Memory Bank collect records that are better placed in the Archive and Local History Centre.
The Bank
When recorded material comes into the Memory Bank, it undergoes a detailed process of copying, transcription, cataloguing, indexing and archiving. Volunteers have been key to the tasks of indexing, correcting and copying. When all the steps are complete the contribution is entered onto the database..
No contribution is entered on the database without a release form being signed by the contributor. This form assigns the copyright of the contribution to the Scottish Borders Memory Bank. In a few cases, where material has been previously published and where the copyright is already assigned, the Memory Bank has obtained special permission to use the material in the database, subject to the usual copyright agreements.
Copyright Information
Quality control
During the process of collecting the material, the Memory Bank does all it can to ensure that good practices are followed. This is important because the contributions are not edited once they are collected. There is a stringent routine of checking and correcting between the Memory Bank and the project contributors, but the original is not edited, summarised or changed.
However, from 2007 onwards the version that is uploaded onto the web site may have some cosmetic editing to remove long pauses and non words such as umm, er
As might be expected with the variety of collecting projects, the quality of contributions can vary. Whilst in our opinion, this does not detract from the value of the contribution, it is important for people using the resource that the recording quality is assessed in some way.
The quality of the recorded end-product is assessed by staff or volunteers who were not themselves involved in the project. Using a recording checklist drawn up by the Memory Bank team the finished product is assessed for, amongst other things,
- the amount of information imparted by the contributor and whether or not the project contains any questionable material.
- the clarity and comprehensibility of the speakers
- the technical quality of the recording .
- the interview style and the number of interviewers involved in the recording.
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