Wandering the Web: Digital Library of Appalachia

If the Internet had existed in my youth, I doubt very seriously that I would have finished high school, let alone college. There’s just too much good stuff out there and not enough time to check it all out. YouTube alone could eat up 30 hours a day. Even so, it’s always cool to find out about fun and informative websites. To that end, this is the first in an occasional series of posts called “Wandering the Web,” short articles about interesting websites I’ve found while looking for something else.

It is not an exaggeration to say someone could spend years exploring and digesting the contents of the Digital Library of Appalachia, an online consortium of nearly three dozen universities, colleges, libraries, archives and museums. These member organizations have pooled their collections of sound recordings, interviews and oral histories, photographs, books, newspapers and unpublished journals, diaries and manuscripts. It’s designed to be a one-stop resource for all things Appalachian.

Choose “Music” as your Topic, and a wealth of material appears, including music recordings as well as recordings of interviews, radio programs, concerts and more. Most of the recordings are field recordings or some other kind of non-commercial recording, such as at festivals and workshops. The collection includes recordings of 3,580 fiddle tunes, running the gamut alphabetically from “Ace of Spades” to “Zollie’s Retreat.”

Don’t like fiddle music? Not a problem. The online archive also includes shape note and sacred harp religious singing, country music radio programs from Louisville in the 1940s, ukulele-playing blues songster Rabbit Muse, ballads recorded by John Lomax, songs by the Six Bits of Rhythm Jug Band of Jefferson County, Kentucky, blues singers from all over the southeast, folk storytellers, recorded church and revival services, Cherokee songs and dance music and even a player of the Hungarian cymbalum.

In addition to music, the collection contains fascinating interviews with Cleo Davis, Bill Monroe’s first Blue Grass Boy, talking about early days with the Father of Bluegrass; blues singer Sparky Rucker talking about black country stringbands; and fiddler J.P. Fraley talking about his early influences.

One disadvantage of exploring this site is that it’s relatively time-consuming to listen to a recording, as it has to be downloaded first if you want to hear it all. (Samples can be heard if you click 'click here to display item.') On the other hand, you’re allowed to legally download, for free, as much as you want—even all 3,580 fiddle tunes.

The Digital Library of Appalachia is an almost unbelievable resource for scholars, students, researchers and musicians. Having all this material under one roof (as it were) increases access immeasurably and allows a much fuller study of any given topic. The DLA is a model of enlightened cooperation for other archives and collections to follow.

As much information as there is under the heading of “Music,” that’s just one of 10 categories; the other nine are Cultural Landscape; Daily Life and Customs; Education; Literature; Natural Environment; Politics and Government; Religion and Beliefs; Visual Arts and Handcrafts; and Work and Occupations. I look forward to checking out these other topics as time permits.