Oral History Committee Annual Report 2021

submitted by Sara Wallace

Current Roster

  • Sara Wallace, Senior Chair (2022)
  • Catherine Hammer, Junior Chair (2025)
  • Robert S. DeLand, Committee Member (2022)
  • Karen Olson, Committee Member (2025)
  • Nurhak Tuncer-Bayramli, Committee Member (2025)
  • Katherine DeFonzo, Committee Member (2025)
  • Jacey Kepich, Committee Member (2025)
  • Christina Taylor Gibson, Ex-officio member (2025)

List of Previous Goals and Progress Made

  • Participate in and contribute to Oral History interviews of past MLA presidents and other important MLA officers
    • Completed interview of Judy Tsou (former IAML President and MLA Board Member) by past OHC member Treshani Perera (2016-2020) with collaboration and publication of edited article in the MLA Newsletter through help from Jacey Kepich (Volume 208, April 6, 2021).
    • Since the last quarterly report, Part I of former MLA president Michael Colby’s interview conducted and transcribed by Marci Cohen, (edited by T. Dickman) appeared in the MLA Newsletter, issue 210. See
      https://wp.musiclibraryassoc.org/mla-newsletter-issue-210/. The concluding Part II of Michael Colby’s interview article is expected to be published in the forthcoming issue 211.
    • Planning for interview of former MLA President James Cassaro.
  • Increase depth of diverse, new talent within the MLA Oral History Committee through recruitment, mentorship opportunities, and goal-setting check-ins/meetings
    • The contributions of past chair, Therese Dickman (Southern Illinois University Edwardsville), Woody Colahan (University of Denver), and Lynne Weber (Minnesota State University, Mankato, retired) as well as past MLA Archivist Melissa Wertheimer (ex officio member), are acknowledged and appreciated as their OHC membership terms have ended.
    • The following new members have been appointed to the Oral History Committee: Catherine Hammer (Milligan University), Katherine DeFranco (student member), Jacey Kepich (Case Western Reserve University), Karen Olson (Washington University in St. Louis); and incoming MLA Archivist, Christina Taylor Gibson (University of Maryland).
    • Therese Dickman (Chair, 2017-21) held an OHC meeting on Friday, March 26th. Six outgoing, current, and prospective members attended. Sara Wallace agreed to serve as Senior Chair this next year; Catherine Hammer offered to serve as Junior Chair via email after the meeting.
    • Sara Wallace and Catherine Hammer met with Therese Dickman over Zoom on the morning of Tuesday, Apr 13, 2021, for an MLA Oral History Committee Meeting regarding the leadership transition to Junior and Senior Chair.
    • Oral History Committee members were encouraged to participate in the Implicit Bias Testing Reporting activity to increase our awareness of implicit bias, as well as improve our understanding during interactions with each other as we work to increase diversity and promote inclusion within the Oral History Committee and the Music Library Association.
    • The full MLA Oral History Committee plans to meet again this fall to become better acquainted and to continue to plan for the year.
  • Work with additional committees within the MLA to increase value of work and creativity through collaboration
    • Ongoing work on a blog through past member Ellwood “Woody” Colahan (2017-2021) for the Oral History Committee to expand visibility and access to information pertaining to activities of the committee.
    • The Oral History and the Archives and Special Collections Committees co-sponsored the 2021 MLA Annual Meeting Plenary 3 session on Thursday, March 4th, entitled, “Stories, Sounds, and Snapshots: Institutional memories and the archives that keep them,” organized by then MLA Archivist, Melissa Wertheimer who presented as well as Andy Leach and Carolyn Friedrich. Maristella Feustle and Therese Dickman, committee chairs, were co-moderators of the session.
    • Developing ideas for Oral History-related articles for the MLA Newsletter. For example, since the last quarterly report, Part I of former MLA president Michael Colby’s interview conducted and transcribed by Marci Cohen, (edited by T. Dickman) appeared in the MLA Newsletter, issue 210. See
      https://wp.musiclibraryassoc.org/mla-newsletter-issue-210/. The concluding Part II of Michael Colby’s interview article is expected to be published in the forthcoming issue 211.

List of Future Goals

  • To increase ease of access to MLA Oral History Committee interviews by promoting work related to Oral History materials for all types of MLA members throughout the national organization
    • ALIGNMENT WITH MLA STRATEGIC PLAN OBJECTIVES: “Develop and sustain the necessary resources to ensure the vitality of the Association, its programs and services”
    • Continue to work with the MLA Newsletter to tell interesting stories from the history of the MLA
    • Possibly create blog articles related to transcribed Oral History Committee interviews
    • Seek out ways for new MLA members and interviewees, especially from underrepresented groups and other MLA committees, to connect with the Oral History Committee
  • To coordinate with MLA chapter and music-related oral history projects
    • ALIGNMENT WITH MLA STRATEGIC PLAN OBJECTIVES: “Pursue joint ventures with other organizations that offer financial as well as professional opportunities and advantages”
    • Encourage MLA Oral History Committee members to connect with their local MLA chapters to seek out new ideas for collaboration in their own communities
    • Connect people working on MLA Oral History Committee related projects with new opportunities, such as determining the feasibility of related grant writing
    • Continue to seek out projects which will increase Oral History Committee visibility and participation at MLA conferences, such as creating a presentation with the MLA Archivist
  • To continue to provide opportunities for MLA colleagues to partner with others and to share project ideas, strategies, best practices, and results
    • ALIGNMENT WITH MLA STRATEGIC PLAN OBJECTIVES: “Increase outreach efforts to organizations that are underrepresented, including those whose holdings reflect many types of music” and “Develop and sustain the necessary resources to ensure the vitality of the Association, its programs and services”
    • To create new opportunities to interview members of the MLA and transcribe oral interviews using funding requested earlier in the year through the 7.036 – Oral History Committee – Budget Request
    • Plans are being finalized for an MLA Oral History project interview to be conducted in the coming year of another former MLA president