Oral History of Illinois Agriculture: Building the AudioVideo Barn

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Oral History of Illinois AgricultureBuilding
the Audio-Video Barn
Robert E. Warren, Chair Illinois State Museum
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The Oral History of Illinois Agriculture Project
Robert E. Warren, Illinois State Museum Mark R.
DePue, Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library
Museum
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lllinois Agriculture

• Agriculture has been a vital way of life in
  Illinois for thousands of years.
• The Illinois State Museum is developing new
  educational material on the origins and evolution
  of agriculture.
• Information will be made available on a new Web
  module focusing on Illinois agricultural history.

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lllinois Agriculture

• Agriculture has been a vital way of life in
  Illinois for thousands of years.
• The Illinois State Museum is developing new
  educational material on the origins and evolution
  of agriculture.
• Information will be made available on a new Web
  module focusing on Illinois agricultural history.

5
lllinois Agriculture

• Agriculture has been a vital way of life in
  Illinois for thousands of years.
• The Illinois State Museum is developing new
  educational material on the origins and evolution
  of agriculture.
• Information will be made available on a new Web
  module focusing on Illinois agricultural history.

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Oral History of Illinois Agriculture

• IMLS National Leadership Grant
• Grant awarded to Illinois State Museum Society
• Two-year project (2007 2009)
• Principal Investigator Dr. Robert E. Warren
  (ISM)
• Co-Principal Investigator Dr. Mark R. DePue,
  Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum
  (ALPLM)

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Oral History of Illinois Agriculture

• IMLS National Leadership Grant
• Grant awarded to Illinois State Museum Society
• Two-year project (2007 2009)
• Principal Investigator Dr. Robert E. Warren
  (ISM)
• Co-Principal Investigator Dr. Mark R. DePue,
  Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum
  (ALPLM)

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Oral History of Illinois Agriculture

• IMLS National Leadership Grant
• Grant awarded to Illinois State Museum Society
• Two-year project (2007 2009)
• Principal Investigator Dr. Robert E. Warren
  (ISM)
• Co-Principal Investigator Dr. Mark R. DePue,
  Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum
  (ALPLM)

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Oral History of Illinois Agriculture

• IMLS National Leadership Grant
• Grant awarded to Illinois State Museum Society
• Two-year project (2007 2009)
• Principal Investigator Dr. Robert E. Warren
  (ISM)
• Co-Principal Investigator Dr. Mark DePue,
  Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum
  (ALPLM)

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Oral History of Illinois Agriculture

• Project Goals
• Create an interactive Web module the
  Audio-Video Barn featuring digital oral-history
  interviews with people involved in various
  aspects of agriculture and rural life in
  Illinois.
• Some interviews from audio tapes housed in
  library archives at NIU and UIS.
• ISM ALPLM will record 50 new video interviews
  with a diverse array of people of various ages
  from throughout the State of Illinois.
• Audio and video records will be digitized,
  edited, and transcribed.
• Recordings will be indexed by theme, topic,
  keyword, location, and time so people can search
  them interactively for subjects of special
  interest.
• Give Museum and Web visitors a rich, personal
  view of Illinois agriculture past, present, and
  future.

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Oral History of Illinois Agriculture

• Project Goals
• Create an interactive Web module the
  Audio-Video Barn featuring digital oral-history
  interviews with people involved in various
  aspects of agriculture and rural life in
  Illinois.
• Incorporate old interviews from audio tapes
  housed in library archives.
• ISM ALPLM will record 50 new video interviews
  with a diverse array of people of various ages
  from throughout the State of Illinois.
• Audio and video records will be digitized,
  edited, and transcribed.
• Recordings will be indexed by theme, topic,
  keyword, location, and time so people can search
  them interactively for subjects of special
  interest.
• Give Museum and Web visitors a rich, personal
  view of Illinois agriculture past, present, and
  future.

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Oral History of Illinois Agriculture

• Project Goals
• Create an interactive Web module the
  Audio-Video Barn featuring digital oral-history
  interviews with people involved in various
  aspects of agriculture and rural life in
  Illinois.
• Incorporate old interviews from audio tapes
  housed in library archives.
• Record 50 new video interviews with a diverse
  array of people of various ages from throughout
  the State of Illinois.
• Audio and video records will be digitized,
  edited, and transcribed.
• Recordings will be indexed by theme, topic,
  keyword, location, and time so people can search
  them interactively for subjects of special
  interest.
• Give Museum and Web visitors a rich, personal
  view of Illinois agriculture past, present, and
  future.

Geneva Sweet, 96
Timothy Reed, 36
Makenna Barker, 12
Parris Brewer, 49
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Oral History of Illinois Agriculture

• Project Goals
• Create an interactive Web module the
  Audio-Video Barn featuring digital oral-history
  interviews with people involved in various
  aspects of agriculture and rural life in
  Illinois.
• Incorporate old interviews from audio tapes
  housed in library archives.
• Record 50 new video interviews with a diverse
  array of people of various ages from throughout
  the State of Illinois.
• Digitize, edit, and transcribe audio and video
  recordings.
• Index recordings by theme, topic, keyword,
  location, and time so people can search them
  interactively for subjects of special interest.
• Give Museum and Web visitors a rich, personal
  view of Illinois agriculture past, present, and
  future.

14
Oral History of Illinois Agriculture

• Project Goals
• Create an interactive Web module the
  Audio-Video Barn featuring digital oral-history
  interviews with people involved in various
  aspects of agriculture and rural life in
  Illinois.
• Incorporate old interviews from audio tapes
  housed in library archives.
• Record 50 new video interviews with a diverse
  array of people of various ages from throughout
  the State of Illinois.
• Digitize, edit, and transcribe audio and video
  recordings.
• Index recordings by theme, topic, keyword,
  location, and time so people can search them
  interactively for subjects of special interest.
• Give Museum and Web visitors a rich, personal
  view of Illinois agriculture past, present, and
  future.

Searchable Oral Histories Find What You Want !!
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Oral History of Illinois Agriculture

• Project Goals
• Create an interactive Web module the
  Audio-Video Barn featuring digital oral-history
  interviews with people involved in various
  aspects of agriculture and rural life in
  Illinois.
• Incorporate old interviews from audio tapes
  housed in library archives.
• Record 50 new video interviews with a diverse
  array of people of various ages from throughout
  the State of Illinois.
• Digitize, edit, and transcribe audio and video
  recordings.
• Index recordings by theme, topic, keyword,
  location, and time so people can search them
  interactively for subjects of special interest.
• Give Museum and Web visitors a rich, personal
  view of Illinois agriculture past, present, and
  future.

Keywords
Round Barn
Belgian Horses
Peach Orchard
Elk Ranching
Oregano
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Oral History of Illinois Agriculture

• Project Goals
• Create an interactive Web module the
  Audio-Video Barn featuring digital oral-history
  interviews with people involved in various
  aspects of agriculture and rural life in
  Illinois.
• Incorporate old interviews from audio tapes
  housed in library archives.
• Record 50 new video interviews with a diverse
  array of people of various ages from throughout
  the State of Illinois.
• Digitize, edit, and transcribe audio and video
  recordings.
• Index recordings by theme, topic, keyword,
  location, and time so people can search them
  interactively for subjects of special interest.
• Give Museum and Web visitors a rich, personal
  view of Illinois agriculture past, present, and
  future.

Keywords
Round Barn
Draft Horse
Peach Orchard
Elk Ranching
Oregano
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Oral History of Illinois Agriculture

• Project Goals
• Create an interactive Web module the
  Audio-Video Barn featuring digital oral-history
  interviews with people involved in various
  aspects of agriculture and rural life in
  Illinois.
• Incorporate old interviews from audio tapes
  housed in library archives.
• Record 50 new video interviews with a diverse
  array of people of various ages from throughout
  the State of Illinois.
• Digitize, edit, and transcribe audio and video
  recordings.
• Index recordings by theme, topic, keyword,
  location, and time so people can search them
  interactively for subjects of special interest.
• Give Museum and Web visitors a rich, personal
  view of Illinois agriculture past, present, and
  future.

Keywords
Round Barn
Draft Horse
Peach
Elk Ranching
Oregano
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Oral History of Illinois Agriculture

• Project Goals
• Create an interactive Web module the
  Audio-Video Barn featuring digital oral-history
  interviews with people involved in various
  aspects of agriculture and rural life in
  Illinois.
• Incorporate old interviews from audio tapes
  housed in library archives.
• Record 50 new video interviews with a diverse
  array of people of various ages from throughout
  the State of Illinois.
• Digitize, edit, and transcribe audio and video
  recordings.
• Index recordings by theme, topic, keyword,
  location, and time so people can search them
  interactively for subjects of special interest.
• Give Museum and Web visitors a rich, personal
  view of Illinois agriculture past, present, and
  future.

Keywords
Round Barn
Draft Horse
Peach
Elk
Oregano
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Oral History of Illinois Agriculture

• Project Goals
• Create an interactive Web module the
  Audio-Video Barn featuring digital oral-history
  interviews with people involved in various
  aspects of agriculture and rural life in
  Illinois.
• Incorporate old interviews from audio tapes
  housed in library archives.
• Record 50 new video interviews with a diverse
  array of people of various ages from throughout
  the State of Illinois.
• Digitize, edit, and transcribe audio and video
  recordings.
• Index recordings by theme, topic, keyword,
  location, and time so people can search them
  interactively for subjects of special interest.
• Give Museum and Web visitors a rich, personal
  view of Illinois agriculture past, present, and
  future.

Keywords
Round Barn
Draft Horse
Peach
Elk
Oregano
20
Oral History of Illinois Agriculture

• Project Goals
• Create an interactive Web module the
  Audio-Video Barn featuring digital oral-history
  interviews with people involved in various
  aspects of agriculture and rural life in
  Illinois.
• Incorporate old interviews from audio tapes
  housed in library archives.
• Record 50 new video interviews with a diverse
  array of people of various ages from throughout
  the State of Illinois.
• Audio and video records will be digitized,
  edited, and transcribed.
• Index recordings by theme, topic, keyword,
  location, and time so people can search them
  interactively for subjects of special interest.
• Give Web visitors a rich, personal view of
  Illinois agriculture past, present, and future.

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Oral History of Illinois Agriculture
Project Themes

• Land
• Plants
• Animals
• People
• Technology

Lloyd Johnson Farm
Photo by Robert Warren
Illinois State Geological Survey
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Oral History of Illinois Agriculture
Soybeans
Project Themes

• Land
• Plants
• Animals
• People
• Technology

Corn
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Oral History of Illinois Agriculture
Project Themes
Standardbred horses

• Land
• Plants
• Animals
• People
• Technology

Holstein calf
Photo by Doug Carr
Photo by Robert Warren
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Oral History of Illinois Agriculture
Jim Mary Burrus
Project Themes

• Land
• Plants
• Animals
• People
• Technology

Lloyd Minnie Johnson
Photos by Robert Warren
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Oral History of Illinois Agriculture
Project Themes
Oba Herschberger Farm

• Land
• Plants
• Animals
• People
• Technology

Photo by Doug Carr
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Old InterviewsDigitize Analog Audio
Founders Memorial Library, Northern Illinois
University (NIU) 18 Interviews
Brookens Library, University of
Illinois-Springfield (UIS) 42 Interviews
Illinois State Museum (ISM) 1 Interview
Example from UIS Charles B. Shuman (1907-1999)
President of the American Farm Bureau Federation,
1954-1971
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New InterviewsDigital Video

• Record 50 new interviews on digital video.
• Interviewees should be diverse in terms of
  ethnicity, gender, age, and geographic location.
• Interviewees should represent many different
  aspects of agriculture

Illinois State Museum 25 Interviews

• Grain farmers
• Elk and bison ranchers
• Bee keepers
• Tree farmers

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New InterviewsDigital Video

• Record 50 new interviews on digital video.
• Interviewees should be diverse in terms of
  ethnicity, gender, age, and geographic location.
• Interviewees should represent many different
  aspects of agriculture

Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library Museum 25
Interviews
Illinois State Museum 25 Interviews

• Grain farmers
• Elk and bison ranchers
• Bee keepers
• Tree farmers

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New InterviewsDigital Video

• Record 50 new interviews on digital video.
• Interviewees are diverse in terms of ethnicity,
  gender, age, and geographic location.
• Interviewees should represent many different
  aspects of agriculture

Ray Ackerman, 89
Makenna Barker, 12

• Grain farmers
• Elk and bison ranchers
• Bee keepers
• Tree farmers

• Dairy farmers
• Horseradish growers
• College professors
• 4-H kids

Geneva Sweet, 96
Lloyd Johnson, 69
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New InterviewsDigital Video

• Record 50 new interviews on digital video.
• Interviewees are diverse in terms of ethnicity,
  gender, age, and geographic location.
• Interviewees represent many different aspects of
  agriculture

• Grain farmers
• Elk and bison ranchers
• Bee keepers
• Tree farmers

• Dairy farmers
• Horseradish growers
• College professors
• 4-H kids

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New Interviews
Interview Candidates (163)
Interviewees (50)
Select Interviewees
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New Interviews
Interviewees (50)
Interviewees (50)
Assign Interviews to ISM ALPLM Crews
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New Interviews
Interview Tools
Audio
Video
Marantz PMD620 Flash Recorder
Sony HVR-V1U High-Definition Video Camera
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Oral History of lllinois AgricultureInterviewees
The Final Fifty
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Oral History of lllinois AgricultureInterviewees
The Final Fifty
Interview Progress Interviews Completed
78 Total Interviewees 84 As of 10/8/2009
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Oral History of lllinois AgricultureISM
Interviews Completed (n 47)

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Oral History of lllinois AgricultureSit-Down
Interviews (n 39)
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Oral History of lllinois AgricultureWalk Talk
Interviews (n 33)
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Oral History of lllinois AgricultureSit-Down
Interview
John Ackerman, Pumpkin Farmer (December 19, 2007)
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Oral History of lllinois AgricultureSit-Down
Interview
John Ackerman, Pumpkin Farmer (December 19, 2007)
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Oral History of lllinois AgricultureWalk-and-Talk
Interview
Oba Herschberger Amish Farmer (Moultrie County)
Photos by Doug Carr
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Oral History of lllinois AgricultureWalk-and-Talk
Interview
Chopping Alfalfa Oba Herschberger (May 29, 2008)
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ProblemA-V Barn is Packed

• 139 Interviews
• 300 Hours of Recordings
• How can you Find what you Want??

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ProblemA-V Barn is Packed

• 139 Interviews
• 300 Hours of Recordings
• How can you Find what you Want??

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ProblemA-V Barn is Packed

• 139 Interviews
• 300 Hours of Recordings
• How can you Find what you Want??

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Making Oral Histories Searchable

• Subdivide interviews into segments clips
• Index segments clips with themes, names,
  places, dates, topics, and other keywords
• Use computer to find all interview segments
  matching keywords of interest

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Making Oral Histories Searchable

• Subdivide interviews into segments clips
• Index segments clips with themes, names,
  places, dates, topics, and other keywords
• Use computer to find all interview segments
  matching keywords of interest

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Making Oral Histories Searchable

• Subdivide interviews into segments clips
• Index segments clips with themes, names,
  places, dates, topics, and other keywords
• Use computer to find all interview segments
  tagged with keywords of interest

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Find What You WantEnter a Keyword
Tractors
Keyword

• Brian Holst
• Lloyd Johnson
• Mark Johnson
• Leland Sweatman

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Find What You WantEnter a Keyword
Peach Orchard
Keyword

• Irene McGuire
• Wayne Sirles

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Find What You WantEnter a Keyword
World War II
Keyword

• Ray Ackerman
• Eileen Cunningham
• Roy Harrington
• Irene McGuire
• Leland Sweatman
• Geneva Sweet

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Find What You WantEnter a Keyword
Future Farmers of America
Keyword

• FFA State Officers (2008-2009)
• Diana Hatfield
• Sam Meteer
• Kaitlin Weitekamp

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Oral History of lllinois Agriculture
Time Frame 1880-2009

• Two World Wars
• Great Depression
• Technology
• Farm Crises
• Floods
• Droughts
• Current Recession

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Oral History of lllinois Agriculture
Whats Happening to the Family Farm?

• Number of farms has declined
• Average farm size is growing
• Family farms are disappearing
• Corporate farms are one the rise

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Oral History of lllinois Agriculture
Whats Happening to the Family Farm?

• Number of farms has declined
• Average farm size has grown
• Family farms are disappearing
• Corporate farms are one the rise

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Oral History of lllinois Agriculture
Diversification

• Number of farms has declined
• Average farm size has grown
• Recent reversals in farms farm size (2007)
• Family farms are disappearing
• Corporate farms are one the rise

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Oral History of Illinois Agriculture Project
Special thanks to the Institute of Museum and
Library Services for supporting this project