SPOKEdb: open-source information management system for oral history

This paper aims to examine how an open-source information management system was developed to manage a collection of more than 10,000 oral history interviews at the University of Kentucky Libraries’ Louie B. Nunn Center for Oral History.

Digital library architects at the University of Kentucky Libraries built an open-source information management system for oral history using the open-source tools Omeka and Blacklight. Additional open-source code was developed to facilitate interaction between these tools.

Information management systems that address needs of libraries and archives can be built by combining existing open-source tools in complementary ways.

This work at the University of Kentucky Libraries serves as a proof of concept for other institutions to examine as a potential model to follow or adapt for their own local needs. The SPOKEdb framework can be replicated elsewhere, as the major and minor components are open-source. SPOKEdb at its conceptual level is a unique information management system based on its tailored approach to serving the needs of oral history management at various user levels including both administrative and public.