Lessons learned: Preserving oral histories of the Vietnam war

Abstract

This paper explores some of the challenges that the University of Southern California (USC)’s Digital Library faced while publishing born-digital content using CONTENTdm, the digital asset management system developed by the Online Computer Library Center (OCLC). Through the specific context of an oral history video project, developed as part of a class assignment by USC Professor and Pulitzer Prize and MacArthur Genius Awards winner, Viet Thanh Nguyen, some of the major expectations and challenges are illuminated. These project-specific problems shed light on some of the broader evaluations of digital asset management systems in general. These experiences can help to shape considerations for choosing a platform in the future. The paper concludes with a brief discussion about the USC Digital Library’s requirements for its next system and some final thoughts on the ever-elusive ideal digital asset management system.