The UBC Digital Folklore Archives

The UBC Digital Folklore Archives are a web-based, multimedia database of folklore materials (e.g., folksongs, legends, proverbs, dance) recorded from living consultants by undergraduate students taking folklore courses at UBC. Searchable by genre, language, region, and ethnic categories, a TLEF-funded major upgrade will make the Archives a dynamic, unique, and invaluable research tool for students at UBC. Between January-August 2007, the development of a simple database and interface was funded through a Faculty of Arts IT grant. The site is currently in alpha-testing stage, and will be migrated onto Arts IS servers for use by students of ASIA 369 (Asian Folklore) in January 2008.

We now seek TLEF funding for broad upgrades of the Archives' 'front end':

1. Sophisticated, 'facebook'-style profiles for entry, management, and analysis of individual collections;
2. Enhanced instructor/TA interfaces for grading/oversight of student work;
3. The development of analytic tools such as GIS geo-mapping, statistical analysis, and collation;
4. Improved support for digital audio, video and images;
5. Integration with WebCT courseware.

The Archives will be housed on Faculty of Arts IS servers. All materials collected on this website will necessarily be cleared for research use through signed consent forms, and will be available free of cost, for non-commercial use, to students and faculty at UBC.

Adheesh Sathaye, Asian Studies, Faculty of Arts