I've read most of the discussion on this issue and I think the Dr here has best expressed my view.  I'm more comfortable in thinking of an oral history as a draft rather than as a record, because it fits my understanding of a draft more closely than my definition of a record.  The easy changeability of an oral tradition, (which is why there have been projects to preserve them by recording or writing down these histories) prevents me from thinking of the speaking of such a history to be a record.  Until it is recorded on some medium, it’s a draft, or in other words, one version of potentially many versions, of the same events.

Of course, all views expressed in this email, written by me, are mine alone, and may not represent the views of my employer.

Bill Creamer
Records & Conflicts Manager
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212.728.3448


-----Original Message-----
From: Records Management Program [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of David T. Macknet
Sent: Tuesday, September 10, 2013 12:40 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: [RM] Are purely oral traditions records?

 

Hmm. Part of the discussion has centred around the evidenciary standing of oral history, which may give them the standing as if they were records, but I'm not sure that I'd call them records in and of themselves. Oral histories are records, certainly, in a sense - an historical record, in a way. But my gut feeling (for whatever it's
worth) is that there's something about what RM has considered "a record"
which involves the explicit act of preservation, in durable form.
Certainly, the explicit act of preservation is present within oral histories ... but the durability of the form is in question. Also, because there is no possibility of destruction / retention decisions being made in the same way as what RM considers records, I think there is some (not irreconcilable) philosophical difference between the two. 

-D 

-------------------------

DR. DAVID T. MACKNET
 MCP, MCSD, BA, MSc, MLitt, PhD


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