Dear all, As someone working with archives of English folklore, under the constant threat of extinction from a 'culturally short-sighted' university administration, the appeal appended below has a particular resonance. But I guess it speaks to us all. If you feel able to send a message of support, I'm sure Alessandro Portelli will be very grateful. >>"Original Message ----- >>From: <mailto:[log in to unmask]>A. Portelli >>To: Sent: Monday, September 18, 2000 2:35 AM >>Subject: Help! >> Dear Friends, >> This is an appeal to help save over over thirty years of field work >>in oral history, folk music, popular culture, in Rome, in Central Italy, >>and in parts of the United States and other countries. The collection >>houses over 3000 tapes, many documenting progressive Italian (and other) >>movements and anti fascism. The archive includes as well the life work of >>Alessandro Portelli's re fascism and anti fascism, labor strikes, >>progressive movements, and re Harlan County. Please read the text below >>and If you are willing to sign the text , please e mail Alessandro >>Portelli with your name and institution. His address is <mailto:[log in to unmask]>[log in to unmask] Thanks, D >> >>Dear friends - I wonder if you would willing to help the institution that >>houses all my life work in oral history and folk music (as well as that >>of a number of other activists, researchers, and artists), which is >>about to disappear due to the bureaucratic inertia, and cultural >>short-sightedness of our local institutions. If you are willing to sign >>the text I enclose, please e mail me back with your name and institution. >>The Italian text has already gathered dozens of signatures, including >>Luisa Passerini, Pietro Clemente, and other scholars, artists and >>activists. Thank you! - Sandro Portelli >> >>The "Franco Coggiola" archive and library, established in Rome by the >>Circolo Gianni Bosio, has lost its space. This archive is the result of >>over thirty years of field work in oral history, folk music, popular >>culture, in Rome, in Central Italy, and in parts of the United States and >>other countries. It has been declared an "archive of relevant historic >>interest" by the regional authorities. It includes over 3,000 hours of >>recordings, as well as books, records, videotapes, and served as the >>basis for important scholarly work (the "Franco Coggiola" Archive is the >>source for all the oral history documents published in a recent >>collection sponsored by the local administration on the Resistance in >>Rome) as well as for the revival, study, and teaching of oral traditions >>and folk music. >> >>The Archive had to give up its historic space (a cellar in the >>neighborhood of San Lorenzo) because the dampness was destroying the >>tapes and books. The good will shown in countless meetings with city >>officials has not resulted in a concrete alternative. The Archive was >>recently forced to remove its collections from the temporary space >>offered by a cultural association ("Ex Rialto Occupato") because, during >>maintenance work, the power cables were cut off and six months of >>meetings and discussions with city officials and the electric company >>have not sufficed to have restored! >> >>A democratic society and its culture thrive on independent, accessible, >>highly qualified structures such as the "Franco Coggiola" archive and the >>Circolo Gianni Bosio. The civic spirit of those who keep them going, the >>knowledge preserved and made available, the activities (stages, seminars, >>music) that make it a living space, the resources offered to scholars >>make them especially important as a democratic cultural resource for the >>city of Rome and beyond. >> >>We therefore invite all local institutions, as well as cultural and >>political organizations, to operate toward making this important >>resources once again available to citizens, cultural workers, artists, >>and scholars. >> >>[In a spirit of public service, the Circolo makes the materials of the >>Archive available by arrangement. For information, and for the catalogue, >>e mail <mailto:[log in to unmask]>[log in to unmask]). Luisa Del Giudice, Director I.O.H.I. Italian Oral History Institute P.O. Box 241553 Los Angeles, CA 90024-1553 Tel: (310) 474-1698 Fax: (310) 474-3188 E-mail: [log in to unmask] www.iohi.org ------- End of forwarded message ------- Robin Wiltshire Archivist National Centre for English Cultural Tradition University of Sheffield Sheffield S10 2TN Phone: 0114 2220195 %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%