How can I access an oral history or other audiovisual item?
Answer
In alignment with best practice and for the preservation of our collection, we have begun migrating audiovisual items on physical media to digital versions that can be streamed online. While we are currently working on this, only a small percentage of audiovisual items have been digitized already, and even fewer have been loaded into our streaming service, Aviary. If an audiovisual item needs to be digitized before it can be loaded into Aviary, fees may incur. The easiest way to find out how an AV item can be accessed is to request it! Sending a request does not obligate you to pay anything, and once we have your request, staff will let you know how to proceed. We're happy to help you figure it out!
Oral histories and other audiovisual items can be discovered while browsing our finding aids in ArchivesSpace or directly on Aviary. If you find something that you would like to access while browsing the finding aids, and there isn't an image of the object or from the recording, click the Aeon Request button at the top right of the window and follow the prompts to request the item. Once staff review your request, we will let you know how to proceed. More information about requesting items can be found on our website.
If the item you would like to access is already in Aviary and you can tell because you found the item directly in Aviary, or the finding aid record has a linked image that takes you to a corresponding Aviary page, you can simply request access within Aviary. From the item's Aviary page, click on the blue Request Access button. You'll need to set up an Aviary account for yourself and then agree to the terms and conditions to request access. Once you've made a request through Aviary, a staff member will approve your request and notify you when your item is ready for access.