Access to Sound Recordings
Members of the public can listen to recordings in the Norfolk Record Office's public searchroom. The Sound Archive's holdings include local broadcast material, oral history recordings and local music. Access to sound recordings is via copies of the original recording in order to preserve the original recording for as long as possible. Not all original recordings have yet been copied, so we strongly advise members of the public to contact Sound Archive staff prior to their visit to see if we hold relevant material and to make arrangements for access copies to be made if so required.
In addition you can consult the Norfolk Record Office's online catalogue NROCAT, which includes details of sound recordings. Please note that not all the Sound Archive's holdings have yet been detailed on NROCAT so we would still advise you to contact the Sound Archive.
The Norfolk Sound Archive also plans to make selected sound recordings available via this website, exhibitions and through the work of the Norfolk Record Office's Education and Outreach section.
Preservation of Sound Recordings
The Norfolk Sound Archive is located in the Archive Centre, next to County Hall in Norwich. The Archive Centre is a purpose built archive repository, which opened to the public in November 2003. The Norfolk Sound Archive is therefore able to store original recordings in optimum environmental conditions. The Norfolk Sound Archive also has an on-going programme of copying original recordings to ensure their preservation. Damage to original recordings is minimised by using a good quality master copy for all access and preservation purposes and by following best-practice guidelines for the handling and storage of original recordings.
Locating Existing Sound Recordings
Many Norfolk related sound recordings are already looked after and made available by national institutions such as the British Library Sound Archive. However there are a lot of recordings created locally and/or held locally, which are not known about by the general public. The Norfolk Sound Archive aims to create a directory of such material as well as collecting original recordings or copies of them. This will allow sound recordings to be listened to in one place and will ensure their preservation for future generations.
Please contact the Norfolk Sound Archive if you have or know of the existence of sound recordings which you think have historical importance to Norfolk. We are interested in one-off recordings as well as collections, for instance community archive oral history projects.
Oral History at the Norfolk Sound Archive
Carrying out oral history recording is easy and very rewarding and it can provide important and accessible historical sources for the study of local history. The Sound Archive is able to provide support and advice to new and existing oral history projects in many ways, as described below.
- Advising on the setting up of an oral history project.
- Possible loan of recording equipment.
- Providing important advice on copyright and confidentiality.
- Advice on other oral history projects in Norfolk.
- Provide basic training in the gathering of oral history and advice on sources of more extensive training.
- Advice on software packages so that you can edit your material on your home computer.
If you would like help with your oral history project then please contact the Sound Archive.
In addition, the Sound Archive is building up a group of staff members and volunteers who are able to carry out oral history interviews. We work with schools and organisations in the creation of sound recordings. We are keen to do more. If you think you would like to work with us in the creation of oral history recordings then please contact the Norfolk Sound Archive.
Oral History in Education
Oral history recordings are a great way to get children and adults alike interested in history.
They often provide a more accessible insight into lives than traditional textual records, as well as preserving dialects, accents and the use of old words. Oral history interviews can be very relevant to the National Curriculum as they often relate to local history as well as describing how major national and international events affected the lives of local people. Oral history covers many areas of literacy, particularly talking and listening to adults, interviewing, extracting and interpreting information, recording and presenting and public speaking.
We work with schools and organisations in the use of sound recordings worthy of permanent preservation. We are keen to do more. If you think you would like to work with us in using oral history recordings then please contact the Norfolk Sound Archive or the Norfolk Record Office's Education and Outreach Service.
Below are some links to organizations who also hold sound recordings relating to Norfolk or who are carrying out recording projects in the county. If you would like your details added then please contact the Norfolk Sound Archive.
British Library Sound Archive - http://www.bl.uk/collections/sound-archive/nsa.html
The British Institute of Organ Studies - of particular interest is BIOS's Historic Organ Sound Archive which feature many recordings made in Norfolk - http://www.duresme.org.uk/BIOS/hosa.htm
WISE Archive - http://www.wisearchive.co.uk/
Updated: 21 May 2007