Internal Database Training: Fortunoff Video Archive

Overview

• As of December 2022 FHSU became an access site for Fortunoff Video Archive for Holocaust Testimonies
• started in 1970's as grassroots film project assembling testimonies of survivors
  • given to Yale and created a unique archive
• Groups from Europe the Americas and Israel have contributed to this
  • Criteria for searching to see the different agents, collections, etc.
• All assembled under the Fortunoff Archive umbrella but some of the access criteria varies
• 12,000 hours of testimonies from 4,400 unique subjects
  • survivors, bystanders, liberators
  • USHMM captures some memories of collaborators
• Vary in length from 15 min to 4 hours and formats

Access

• We're an access point in Kansas - it's FHSU and Midwest Holocaust Center in Overland Park, KS
• Still need to create an account with Aviary (Yale) to register and agree to terms and conditions of use and request permission to use it
• Use the sidebar "Public Resource with Restricted Content" to filter results
• First time using the archive, when you click on a video you see "request access" button with a form popping up.
  • Once you submit the form, you'll get a confirmation email to click on the link and access the content
  • Some toubleshooting issues with Chrome (Brian demoed the rest in Opera)

Filters

• Filters
  • Collection Title - search by some specific groups
  • Agent - the group where the testimonies came from
  • Date - when the testimony was captured
  • Coverage - where the testimonies were captured (not locations they discuss)
  • Language - most are in English and most have English transcripts
  • Most have an index providing an overview of what's discussed
  • Keywords - to see testimonies with common themes

Advanced search

• ex. emigration AND Palestine
• you can save search (give it a name and make notes)
• In your account you can view saved searches 
• some search terms aren't super intuitive (ex. resistance doesn't get many results but resistor does)

Uses

• Could be useful for Music Dept, College of Ed, History, etc.