FAQs
Is all the archival material available through the Internet?
Certain parts of the archive are available through the Internet. Our ability to post material is dependent on intellectual property issues. The commercial recordings in our collection can be accessed online via the Smithsonian Folkways website and through Smithsonian Global Sound. Users can access 30 second samples of all the individual tracks from the Folkways, Cook, Paredon, Dyer-Bennet, Fast Folk, and Monitor record label collections. These include all the tracks released on commercial albums and not the out takes. We do not have the rights to post the out-takes. Users can pay to download the entire track through Smithsonian Global Sound. We are in the process of posting the liner notes to the web for all 3000 albums.
The ability to post all the other archival material to the web is dependent on the intellectual property rights status in each case. We will post samples of our collections on the web as rights and staff time permit.
What can I find out about the archive's collections on the web?
We have posted selected archival finding aids and inventories of our collections on this website, and more will be posted as they are completed. We also intend to put selected examples of each collection on the web. Visit the web page for each collection for more information.
Can I get copies of archival materials?
Our commercial recording titles are available through Smithsonian Global Sound and Smithsonian Folkways Recordings. You can listen to commercial recordings on non-Smithsonian labels in the archive, but we do not have the rights to make copies of this material. The non-published archival materials are only made available on a very limited basis for research purposes. The archive does not have the resources to make audio or video copies for the public. Copying these materials is only possible by arrangement with the performer or informant.
Athough we do have photographic collections in the archive, the Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archives and Collections is not a clearing house for photographic resources. If you find a photograph published on the cover or text or any of our commercial publications, it does not necessarily mean we have rights we can give to third parties for re-publication. Folkways or any of the other labels frequently licensed these photographs from the photographer for one-time use. Use of these photographs will require contacting the photographer or rights holder.
We have other archival photographs from the Smithsonian Folklife Festival which can be used for non-profit educational uses by arrangement with the Center. We also have photographs from the Diana Davies Photograph Collection and the Robert C. Malone Photograph Collection which can used by permission of the archivists. Please contact Stephanie Smith if you have additional questions about photographs (202-633-6439; SmithSDL at si dot edu).
Can I come in and use the collections?
We are glad to have researchers use our materials, and we have a reading room open to the public by appointment. We are unable to handle walk-ins due to staffing constraints, and we are currently open on a limited basis following an office relocation. Please let us know what materials you are interested in seeing so that we can determine if they are currently accessible and available for research. Recording playback equipment is available for use and audio/visual materials can be used depending on the format and the preservation status. One of a kind fragile recordings cannot be used without advance notice; Archive staff will need to make a compact disc reference copy of the recording for your use. There are a number of obsolete formats which cannot presently be played or viewed in the archive, particularly obsolete video formats.
The archive has a library of commercial LPs, 45s, 78s, cassettes and CDs of sounds of the world from other recording companies available for listening. There is an in-house database listing our holdings. At some point in the future we hope to have more database information available on the web.
We have binders of photographs, slides, and contact sheets from the Smithsonian Folklife Festival in addition to the Diana Davies Photograph Collection and Robert C. Malone Photograph Collection, for which finding aids are available. There are also photographs associated with the different record labels in our archival collections. We have a small library of serials and monographs related to folklore, ethnomusicology, anthropology, musicology and the music business available for use. We have a photocopy machine which is available free of charge. Copies of manuscripts can be done depending on their preservation status.
You can make an appointment to visit the Rinzler Archives by calling 202-633-7322 or by emailing rinzlerarchives at si dot edu.
Do you have transcripts of your audio interviews you can send me?
We do not have transcripts for most of our holdings. We do not have the staff to make transcriptions. Audio tapes must be listened to in the archive.
How do I find the words to a song?
The archivists may be able to assist you with a lyric search, but you can also check The Digital Tradition database at http://www.mudcat.org/ . If we are unable to assist you, another source of information is the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress. Their reference desk number is 202-707-5510, and their email is folklife at loc dot gov
I have a collection of old records or fieldwork tapes, can/should I donate them to the archive?
The Center for Folklife and Cutural Heritage collects materials only if there is intention to use them to further the Center's mission. We acquire materials that we can use to create publications, websites, and public programs. The Ralph Rinzler Folklife Archive and Collections only collects outside materials on a very limited basis. We primarily collect the materials generated by the work of the Smithsonian's Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage, primarily the Smithsonian Folklife Festival.
We also collect record company collections which document the world in sound. These collections are acquired only when all of the publishing rights are turned over to the Center which allows us to distribute them. We do collect other collections if they directly relate to our pre-existing collections or they are related to important persons connected with the Center. We also collect outside published materials on a limited basis for our library if they complement the archive's collection strengths (world traditional music, American vernacular music, sounds of the Civil Rights and labor movements, American Indian traditions, Latino culture, topical and political songs among others).
I have a collection of old records. Can you tell me how much they are worth?
The Smithsonian does not do valuations of recordings, artifacts, and other items. If you are interested in the value of your records, a good source of information is Goldmine Magazine. The Record Collectors Guild website is another good source of information. (
