Documenting COVID-19 at OHSU

A blue two-tone image represents a view of Mt. Hood from the perpective of Marquam Hill, with nearby hills in foreground

The COVID-19 pandemic has placed a particular stress on people in the health professions, and for some, has inspired an incredible sense of purpose. Whether you are a practicing healthcare worker on the front lines of patient care, a student or instructor adjusting to a virtual learning environment, hospital staff providing vital operational support, a researcher who mobilized to support OHSU’s coronavirus response while laboratory projects are on hold, or an OHSU member performing any number of other roles in our community, OHSU’s Historical Collections & Archives wants to hear from you.

Sharing our experiences and stories, especially during intense, emotional or stressful times, expands our connectedness and well-being. Hearing stories from others helps us to connect with others, and strengthens our community. And taking the time to document these stories while they are happening is important to help future generations to understand this experience in context.

We invite all members of the OHSU community to contribute to this historical documentation project. If you are interested in sharing how the COVID-19 outbreak has impacted you, please read on to learn how you can become part of the Documenting COVID-19 at OHSU project.

How to participate

We are collecting stories of how COVID-19 is affecting your life, education and work. We’re hoping to capture a wide view of how the pandemic affects the daily lives of the OHSU community. This may include aspects of clinical experiences (HIPAA Privacy Rules apply; do not share Protected Health Information), the shift to online learning, working from home, social distancing, self-quarantine, anxiety, and many other topics.

We are looking for documentation in virtually any format, including but not limited to:

  • Audio recordings/voice memos
  • Videos
  • Oral history-style interviews (please maintain social distancing protocols; check out Vermont Folklife's tips for recording interviews remotely)
  • Photos
  • Zines
  • Websites
  • Journal/diary entries
  • Emails
  • Artwork

While working to document your experiences, please keep all CDC and OHSU health recommendations in mind.

How to submit

We can accept almost any file format. We can also add websites and select social media pages to our Web Archive. To submit resources, please fill out our online form and submission tool, linked below.

Each file will require a new form; resources that were created by more than one person will require a form for each person, but only one person should upload the file. If you have multiple files to submit, files in excess of 100 MB, or have any questions, please contact Steve Duckworth, University Archivist, for assistance.

How we’ll share and preserve these stories

Files deposited and the associated descriptive information (metadata) entered on the submission form will become part of the permanent collections of OHSU’s Historical Collections & Archives (HC&A). Retention of all records is in accordance with HC&A’s Collection Development Policy.

You, as the creator, will retain copyright, but will grant HC&A nonexclusive license to make use of the materials, including but not limited to reproduction, distribution, derivative adaptations, and public performances and displays, consistent with accepted archival practices and HC&A’s Donation Policy. This nonexclusive license transfers no copyright and the creator otherwise retains all rights in the materials subject to this prior nonexclusive license.

HC&A may distribute the materials under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license that allows others to make use of the materials consistent with the terms of the open license in order to make the materials available for educational, informational, research and similar purposes worldwide.

Additional ways to share

OHSU members are also invited to share a 50- to 100-word reflection on how the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted you via the RISE project (OHSU credentials required to view link and participate).

OHSU StoryCorps Conversations preserve conversations between people who know each other well and share a bond. The stories are produced by OHSU and recorded in collaboration with StoryCorps. Interviews can be on a wide variety of topics, including COVID-19, and will be preserved at the Library of Congress. Visit OHSU StoryCorps Conversations to learn more.