Overview
The most significant collection of its type in the state, the Vermont Folklife Archive is the repository for ethnographic and oral history research conducted by our staff, as well as materials donated to us by outside researchers, documentarians, and others.
The heart of the collection resides in approximately 6,000 audio-recorded interviews created from the late 1940s through the present that explore the unfolding culture of Vermont across the 20th and 21st centuries. In addition, the Archive holds hundreds of video recordings, thousands of photographs, and a wealth of manuscript and print materials.
The Vermont Folklife Archive is both a record of the work of the organization and a unique record of life in the state as it emerges over time.
Access
We work to provide access to all materials in our collection for which we have permission to allow public use.
Since the early 2000s we have been digitizing our holdings to preserve their content and expand access to them. At this time a small number of collections are available online through our Digital Collections Database, and many more can be accessed remotely by contacting Archives staff.
Although our digitization work continues, some of our holdings are limited to onsite use by appointment only. To arrange an appointment to work with collections materials onsite–or to inquire about the content of our holdings–please contact the Archivist at 802-388-4964 or info@vermontfolklifecenter.org
Online Resources
Vermont Folklife Digital Collections
Online access to a series of digital collections from the Vermont Folklife Archive.
Pawlet Community Study (1890-1990)
A photographic database originally developed by Neil and Susanne Rappaport that explores Pawlet, VT through portraits of its residents.
Bernie Memes Collection
A crowdsourced collection of approximately 1500 examples of the meme built around a photograph of Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders (and his mittens) taken at President Joe Biden’s January 20, 2021 inauguration. Online collection created and maintained by the Vermont Historical Records Program.
Information & Services
The Vermont Folklife Center Archive works to provide access to all materials in our collection for which we have permission to allow public use.
Hours of Operation Vermont Folklife Archive is open to the public by appointment only. To arrange an appointment or to inquire about our holdings, please contact the archivist at 802-388-4964 or info@vtfolklife.org
Research & Service Fees There is no charge for using the materials at the Vermont Folklife Archive or for most reference services. For materials with releases permitting duplication, researchers may request copies for their own use. The Vermont Folklife Archive charges duplication of materials to recover costs for providing these additional services. Duplication of some materials in the collection is prohibited.
Please note the use of copies of materials from the Vermont Folklife Archive is governed by United States copyright law, and is limited to individual research or personal use. Duplication charges solely recoup the cost for providing reproduction services and do not include licensing fees for the commercial reproduction or commercial use of materials from the Vermont Folklife Archive.
Licensing Permission to reproduce or use materials from the Vermont Folklife Archive for any commercial purpose–including but not limited to on-line use and presentation, publication in any format or exhibits—must be secured from Vermont Folklife prior to web mounting, publication, or exhibition. Licencing fees, where applicable, are calculated separately from reproduction costs. Please contact the Archivist for details.
Consulting Services Vermont Folklife’s Archivist is available to consult for program, archival, and organizational development for organizations seeking to establish, maintain, or restructure multi-media archives of folklife and historic materials. We work with small and large cultural organizations around the country to assist with the creation, stabilization, and arrangement of such collections.
Vermont Folklife staff are also available to consult with organizations on the planning and execution of ethnographic and oral history projects. Please contact the Archivist for more information about our consulting services and staff availability for such projects.
Acknowledgments
Through the generous support of the National Endowment for the Humanities, Jane's Trust, The GRAMMY Foundation, the Council on Library and Information Resources, Champlain Valley National Heritage Partnership, and the Lintilhac Foundation, Vermont Folklife has been able to digitize some of our collections, and work to make available portions of our Archive online.