The following is a list of frequently asked questions about the USC Shoah Foundation Institute for Visual History and Education and Visual History Archive (VHA).
What is the USC Shoah Foundation Institute for Visual History and Education?
The mission of the USC Shoah Foundation Institute is to overcome prejudice, intolerance and bigotry—and the suffering they cause—through the educational use of the Institute's visual history testimonies. In 1994, after filming Schindler's List, Steven Spielberg established Survivors of the Shoah Visual History Foundation to document the experience of survivors and other witnesses to the Holocaust, including those who aided, rescued and liberated the survivors. With a collection of nearly 52,000 video testimonies in 32 languages and from 56 countries, the Visual History Archive is the largest in the world, requiring 200 terabytes of storage.
What is the Visual History Archive (VHA)?
The VHA is a software tool created by the USC Shoah Foundation Institute that allows users to search for and view the digital video footage contained in the Institute’s archive. The VHA allows users to search for and locate whole testimonies of relevance and to find specific segments within testimonies.
What is included in a visual history testimony?
Each testimony consists of a survivor or witness speaking about his or her life before, during and after the Holocaust. Testimonies were recorded on videotape and preserved on digital master tapes. The average testimony is 2.5 hours long.
Who can access the VHA?
Anyone who is present at an FAU Library may access the VHA through a library computer terminal.
Can I use the VHA if I am not a student, staff or faculty member at FAU?
You do not have to be a student or employee at FAU to use the VHA, however, you do need to use a computer at an FAU Library. The reference staff can also assist you with getting started with the VHA.
Can I get transcriptions of the testimonies?
No transcriptions of the testimonies have been created. However, the testimonies have been indexed and catalogued to facilitate searching through the testimonies. You may produce your own transcripts for research purposes. It is also permissible to make audio recordings of the testimonies for research purposes.
How do I cite the VHA materials in my work?
All users who publish information from USC Shoah Foundation Institute interviews, in whole or in part, under the Fair Use or Fair Practice doctrines, should include the following recommended reference/citation:
Interviewees first name, first initial of interviewees surname, year of interview, followed by Interview by USC Shoah Foundation Institute for Visual History and Education, University of Southern California, city of interview, state or province of interview, country of interview, day and month of interview, tape number(s), and time code, if applicable.
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