
The National Library and Archives Emphasized the Significance of Narratives in Sustaining Heritage Based on Its Distinguished Experience in Collecting and Preserving Oral History
Within the Initiatives of the GCC Documentation and Research Centers General Secretariat
The National Library and Archives Emphasized the Significance of Narratives in Sustaining Heritage Based on Its Distinguished Experience in Collecting and Preserving Oral History
As part of the initiatives of the GCC Documentation and Research Centers General Secretariat, the National Library and Archives, one of the prominent members of the General Secretariat, organized a lecture titled: “Memory’s Echoes: The Role of Documenting Narratives in Sustaining Heritage”. The lecture highlighted the cultural similarities and enduring connections among GCC communities and peoples, reflecting the unity of their roots, culture, heritage, and history. It emphasized the need to collect and document oral narratives through audio-visual records as part of oral history activities, complementing written history for future generations.
The lecture, presented by Dr. Aisha Bilkhair, Research Advisor at the National Library and Archives, began with an introduction to the concept of oral history, addressing mental memory—where events are retained and recalled when needed—and explaining how this memory depends on the narrator’s intelligence and skills. She also highlighted that memories are preserved in the mind, particularly those tied to emotions and tangible elements. Dr. Bilkhair explained that when memory and recollection merge, oral history emerges, defined as the documentation of individuals’ life stories and memories in audio and visual form. In this way, it provides a vision of reality, investigates facts, and preserves the memory of time and place, complementing what written documents may lack and allowing it to be passed on across generations to enrich the history of the nation.
The lecture also explored the concept of water memory, genetic memory, and the reading of the journey of time, along with collective memory, which retains knowledge and behaviors that continue to shape community life and social development.
Dr. Bilkhair stressed the strategic importance of the Executive Regulation of Federal Law No. (7) of 2008 concerning the National Library and Archives, which placed oral history at the core of its first article. The law defined oral material as information collected verbally, recorded by sound and writing, to complement or replace missing information, and incorporate that into the Archives’ holdings after being officially documented.
She highlighted that the National Library and Archives has modeled its oral history system on the University of California, Berkeley, which has prioritized oral history since 1953. She described the methodology, beginning with identifying interview topics, setting criteria for selecting narrators, applying best practices in collecting audio-visual materials with digital equipment, classifying content, reviewing narratives to ensure coherence and clarify colloquial terms, editing for linguistic accuracy, and archiving interviews in a multimedia system.
Dr. Bilkhair emphasized that since 2009, the National Library and Archives’ Oral History Project has been the only projrct affiliated with multiple international bodies, adhering to globally recognized standards and scientific and legal principles.
She outlined the criteria for selecting narrators, often senior citizens considered living treasures of the UAE, and detailed the process of preparing for interviews—gathering background information, drafting questions, building rapport, scheduling, testing recording equipment, and ensuring technical quality.
She also addressed interview ethics, the researcher’s responsibilities during the session, and the goals of documenting oral narratives.
Dr. Aisha Bilkhair’s lecture was enriched with practical examples from her fieldwork, including methods for verifying newly revealed information. She stressed that most interviews undergo historical verification supported by photographs and documents to enhance the credibility of oral narratives. This process enables skilled researchers to add robust and accurate information that fills gaps in the written historical record.