Oral histories are cataloged as manuscript collections, regardless of the format the oral histories are made available. Each oral history receives an MS number, which describes the oral history project at a collection level, and an OHT number, which is the identifier for a specific interview. This allows for the context of the oral histories to be described while individual narrators and their stories are also called out in the catalog.
In 2021, GIS specialist Brian Kraft, with support from Humanities DC through a grant from the DC Oral History Collaborative, released a map identifying significant DC locations referenced in 461 of the surveyed oral histories. The map thus far only reflects oral histories that have either an online transcript and/or an audio recording available online. (DC History Center collections will hopefully be added as they come online). Click on an icon to connect to the oral history related to that location. Use the black button on the right side of the map to open the map in a new tab. Zoom and pan around the map. Click a point to get a pop-up, then click the link to the online oral history. The oral history might be a transcript, video, or audio recording.