DOCUMENTATION DEPARTMENT

The Documentation Department takes great pride in announcing that our newly outfitted in-house studio at the Hollywood location is in full operation. The studio was enlarged, and a control room was added with a two-way window. This allows the opprotunity for potential interviewers to view an interview in progress. Both the interviewees who already gave their testimonies as well as prospective interviewees appreciate the accessibility and convenience of the new facility. The advantage of the Center's Broward County location is also lauded by our corps of interviewers.

ON-SITE VIDEO TAPING STUDIO

The studio is fully equipped to make all the necessary copies for the Copyright Office of the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C., our own library, and for the interviewee.

Copies of each of our 2,200 interviews line the walls of our studio, a proud accomplishment of the past 29 years. The audio and video master tapes are stored in a fully acclimatized facility for their safety and preservation.

The cooperation and dedication of the studios at Barry and St. Thomas Universities have always been appreciated, and we hope that we will continue to be welcomed there.

INTERVIEW TRANSCRIPTION AND PUBLICATION

A major goal of this department is to take every interview through the steps for publishing a hard-cover book. This task is long and exacting, consisting of different skills which depend upon each other -- from transcribing the interview from an audio copy of the video tape; to audit/editing this copy; a second audit/edit by a native speaker of the interviewee's country; and the corrections applied to the original transcript.

This route is repeated at least once more until the transcript is as accurate as is humanly possible. Proofreading is next, and then it is reviewed by a historian who prepares a map and abstract of the interviewee's ordeal through the Holocaust years. There are several other procedures that must be completed before the final one of publishing.

The dedication of our volunteers to this mission is outstanding. We extend our thanks and gratitude to each and every one of them. If you are interested in becoming a volunteer, please click here.