LORD BYRON, YOUTUBE AND NATIONAL AUDIOVISUAL  ARCHIVES: EXPERIENCE IN DOING RESEARCH ABOUT KNOWLEDGE OF LORD BYRON.

Introduction

I must admit that my knowledge in technology needed for working with television, radio and movie productions was very limited in 1977. Information about how to preserve old films, old videotapes and sound recordings made for radio and television for reusing of the productions was an object for studies. Permission was granted from the Head of the Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation (NRK) to attend an international conference dealing with television archival issues in Rome, Italy, in year 1978. The international Federation of Television Archives (FIAT/IFTA) was responsible for the conference. I attended the conference as an observer only. I recall the conference in 2018 because of a presentation of a new product made by the Dutch Company Philips: DVD was the new product. Who could dream of the existence of YouTube , files and access policy for all to television and radio productions transmitted in 1978?

YOUTUBE – A NEW INTERNATIONAL  AUDIOVISUAL  ARCHIVE- A CHALLENGE TO NATIONAL ARCHIVES WORLDWIDE?

In 2017 about 3,7 million users were making use of YouTube in Norway.

The main reason for my private interest in making use of YouTube was my research for books and facts about Lord Byron. The public library of Oslo was contacted. My request was books written by Lord Byron, books about the poet and documentaries on VHS cassettes or DVD formats. No problem in finding the literature wanted about the poet. But no documentaries were to be found in the library which had a collection of movies and documentaries available.

MY OWN COLLECTION OF MOVIES

I knew that I had made a recording of a movie based on the life of Lord Byron. I recalled that the recording was made on a VHS cassette. Information on the cassette written by me stated that the work had been done in 1996. The correct date for the recording was August 12, 1996. The title of the movie: “ Haunted Summer “. The Norwegian title is: “ Forhekset sommer ”. The movie was transmitted by the company, TV Norge. So far my own collection of movies.

Because I am an advocate for free access to transmitted films and television productions, I made a search on Google and YouTube.  I was surprised to see how made movies and documentaries made about the life and work of Lord Byron presented for public access. YouTube made it possible to go on with my private studies. Thank you!

We have to understand that the production of VHS cassettes, DVD, 16mm films, 8mm films, betacam Sp, one inch tapes and two inch tapes are done. No more productions in the future of the mentioned products. But we need to keep originals as originals even if files and live streamings of movies and documentaries are dominated the market for the time being.

My question is a provocative one: Is the establishment of You Tube a challenge to National Archives and Public Libraries worldwide that are financed by grants from the governments? YouTube is a business product, but a good one.

SOME FACTS ABOUT YOUTUBE

YouTube was set up in about 2005 in San Mateo, California, USA, by Jawed Karim, Chad Hurley and Steve Chen. The Headquarter is situated in San Bruno, California, USA for the time being. The CEO of YouTube from 2014 is Susan Wojcicki. Education: Havard University: History and literature. University of California, Santa Cruz: Master’s of Science in economics .UCLA Anderson School of Management: Master of Business  Administration.

YouTube is an American video-sharing website. In 2006 Google bought the new service called YouTube. As a user you are allowed to upload, make viewings, add to favorites, comment on videos and subscribe to other users. A wide variety of user-generated and corporate media videos are offered . Video clips, TV show clips, music videos, documentaries filing, audio recordings, movie trailors, live streams, video blogging, short original videos and above all: Educational videos!

CONCLUSION

I am impressed by the work of YouTube. Access is made for people to many products. A challenge to National archives: The answer is yes. But YouTube is a business product only. Users of public libraries can also make use of the collections offered on YouTube. What about censorship, copyrights and selection policies? What about long term preservation of the collections stored? Norway introduced YouTube in February 2013. The content of the collections might be an object for evaluations in some years due to the fact that some want to publish videos to promote conspiracy theories, extremists videos, anti-Semites videos and videos promoting hate preachers, falsehoods and incendiary fringe discourse? Anyway the content of the collections might be evaluated in the same way as books and videos bought for public access at public libraries.

I found at least ten programmes dealing with Lord Byron in one or another way. Splendid. So, I go on doing my research on the BAD, MAD and DANGEROUS poet and radical politician who was born in 1788 and died in 1824. What a life!

MY OLD ROCKING CHAIR

From time to time close friends, members of my family and those who have paid me a visit in my library are asking me the same questions again and again about my rocking chair: Why do you keep a rocking chair in your library for daily use? The rocking chair was bought by me in 1965, I think. The chair is 53 years of age. Not too old compared with the young people I work with these days.  None of friends have bought a rocking chair. When I bought the chair few of my friends at that time had any interest in sitting in a rocking chair which was associated with hospitals and mental facilities. I had no physical problems at the time or later. No.
The main reason for me to begin thinking about my rocking chair was the latest news that Joe Kennedy III has made some statements indicating that he might run for the presidency of USA. I had not heard about the boy but my interest for the Kennedy family is an old interest. Kennedy back in business! Splendid news!Joe Kennedy is a grandson of Robert F.Kennedy. My answer to those who are questioning me about my rocking chair is a recommendation to take a look at the books close to the door of my library: Books about John F. Kennedy, Robert F. Kennedy, Jackie Kennedy and the Kennedy family. I bought the rocking chair in 1965 because the late John F. Kennedy had one. My interest for political issues was a result of the policy of John F. Kennedy: His personal style, his speeches, his support for a better world for people in generally, his critics to the military establishment of USA, his conflict with CIA and above all: FBI and J. Edgar Hoover.

But let us go back to my rocking chair and the history of the chair. As far as I know the inventor of the rocking chair is still unknown. The rocking chair holds a special place in the culture of USA. Two American presidents have made the chair famous: Abraham Lincoln and John F. Kennedy. President Lincoln was shot in Ford’s Theatre while sitting in a rocking chair. President John F. Kennedy used the chair to deal with his back problems. His chair was brought with him everywhere he went- even on Air Force One. He gave rocking chairs as gift to friends and members of the family and to heads of state.

My rocking chair is not old- only 53 years of age. I am 74 and I work with young people at the age of 50 – young and hard working people. But none of them  have bought a rocking chair – not yet. But let us wait and see who might be the next president of USA – a new Kennedy? –the present president whose name I do not want to mention, must understand that if he had used a rocking chair daily, he might have behaved more relaxed in contact with other people – he might have changed his political actions too? But anyway, I go for a new Kennedy and a new rocking chair policy.For your information only: The rocking chair which John F. Kennedy used when he met world leaders in the oval office ,has been sold at an auction, August 3, 2018 for USD 50.000.-

MAD, BAD AND DANGEROUS: LORD BYRON

A visit to the city of Rome, Italy, some years resulted in a private research and study of the life and works of the “…mad ,bad and dangerous to know …”, Lord Byron. While I was waiting to get access to an international audiovisual conference in Rome, I was strolling around alone in a nice park of Villa Borghese close to the conference hall. Viewing sculptures set up for public viewing is an activity I appreciate. Close to the conference house I observed a white statue of the late, the famous and dangerous British poet, peer, politician and nobleman, Lord George Gordon Byron, 6^th Baron Byron, known to many as only Lord Byron.

He was born in 1788. He died in year 1824 at an age of 36 from fever in Missolonghi. Viewing the sculpture arose some old, forgotten and fading knowledge about British poets who I had to study at the old high school – gymnas-in Oslo. I had a very good teacher who made British history and literature an interest of mine. Lord Byron was my favorite at the time. He was “ mad, bad and dangerous to know “, but his attitude to life and political actions were stimulating for a young rebel like me in 1966.

When I came home from Rome I began to search in my private library about literature about Lord Byron and his time. I had only read his famous book: “Childe Harold’s Pilgrimage “. The book was translated into Norwegian. But I had read a lot about his life and his literature. I recalled that I had bought a book about Lord Byron some years ago. It took me some time before I found the book because like many other librarians I do not put my books in correct order because I believe in my own memories knowing every bought, read and stored.

The book I had bought was published in Norway in 1948. The author of the book is the French author Andre Maurois. The title of the book is:  ” Byron ” which was translated by Ragna Thiis. The publishing company is Gyldendal Norsk Forlag, Oslo. In 1948 the publishing company did not publish one book only but divided the book into two books. I had got the second book only. Anyway I was not worried. I took it for granted that many copies of the books were to be found in different public libraries in Oslo. The public library of Oslo was requested about the book. I was surprised knowing that only one copy of the book was stored in the library – only one copy!

ANDRE MAUROIS: SOME FACTS ABOUT THE FRENCH AUTHOR

He was born Emilie Salomon Wilhelm Herzog in 1855. He died in year 1967. The biography of Lord Byron was first published in hardback in 1930. He wrote novels, short stories, biographies, histories, children’s books and science fiction stories.

Andre Maurois is describing Lord Byron in a nice and polite way. New statements to made headlines in newspapers about the life of Lord Byron is not his the way he wanted to present the poet who was regarded at his time as “ mad, bad and dangerous to know “.

MOVIES ABOUT LORD BYRON AND PUBLIC LIBRARIES

Knowing that the public libraries in Oslo have a great collections of films ,movies and documentaries made on DVD for public use, I took it for granted that books and movies of the Lord Byron was treated equally. I was wrong. No movies about Lord Byron had been bought for public use. Sorry.

Anyway, I found movies about Lord Byron on YouTube. I even found a movie made about the dramatic love affair between Lord Byron and Lady Caroline Lamb. She is portrayed by the actress Sarah Miles. The movie was released in 1972. Lady Caroline Lamb was mad about the poet but also made herself famous making the statement: “ … mad, bad and dangerous to know…”.

CONCLUSION

What is my aim of seaching for knowledge in year 2018 about a poet who died at the age of 36 in 1824? A visit in Rome, a sculpture, fading memories, the thrilling search for old and forgotten books and my interest as an advocate for access to both books and movies in public libraries, might be some of the reasons for my studies of Lord Byron. What about the bookshops in Oslo and books about Lord Byron? Only one copy left of “ Don Juan “ in one of the largest bookshops in Oslo. Not translated into Norwegian. Penguin Classics. Reprinted with corrections in 2013.In English only. To my surprise it is not written in a complicated language. Not at all. Easy to read. But I could not buy any movies about Lord Byron in the bookshops. I had to go back to YouTube for viewing of movies about the famous poet. The public libraries have got a competitor: YouTube.

ARCHIVE SELECTION COMMITTEES: WIPING OF AUDIOVISUAL NATIONAL HISTORY?

Biography of the Norwegian journalist, artist, author, film actor, folk singer and above all: Radio and television reporter and producer Erik Bye has been read and evaluated. Erik Erikssønn Bye was famous in Norway. He was born in Brooklyn, New York in 1926 and died in Norway in 2004.The biography of Erik Bye was released in 2017. The book consists of 525 pages to read. But to those of you who worked him in The Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation (NRK), could have added more pages because he was more that great – he was a national giant!

ERIK BYE WIPED?

Even if my work for the NRK was to take care of the Television archive, I had to administrate the Archive Selection Committee. Appointed members from the different producing departments were members of the committee. We had to make a selection of the future of every transmitted television programme: The life or death of the programmes. Programmes made on films were kept without any evaluation but programmes made on tapes had to be evaluated. We decided to wipe a lot of programmes. Gradually I got a feeling that we made a great mistake wiping transmitted television programmes. The visual national history was important to keep.

Reading the biography of Erik Bye I was reminded about the conflict of the work of the committee. We had decided to wipe the only copy of two of the programmes made by Erik Bye.

“ Lys i vandal natt “ was the Norwegian title of a programme about the Norwegian poet Hans Børli. Due to the fact that the programme got negative critique, the committee wiped the only cope of the programme made. The main reason for the wiping was that Nrk needed to reuse the tape for a new production.

With reference to the Archive Committee a programme about Ingolf Hansen was wiped. The title of the programme was: “ Om gutten som gjemte seg i tårnet”. The programme was a story about a boy who suffered from brain damage. He was 28 years of age.

We decided to close the committee after a proposal from me. The result was that we kept all television programmes transmitted. Wiping of information give to the population of Norway could be regarded as a hidden policy of censorship. I was happy when the work of the committee was finished.

Sorry about Erik Bye and two of his splendid productions.

Recommendation to all broadcasting companies worldwide: Close your selection committee at once.