The Archives of Lesbian Oral Testimony (ALOT)  was a scholarly research and archival project, founded in 2010.

As of November 2021, we are no longer creating user accounts, adding new content, or accepting donations.

Contact, access for researchers, and further information

For all questions and requests, including access to protected interviews, contact Special Collections and Rare Books at the SFU Library: scrb@sfu.ca.

Acknowledgements

ALOT was founded and created by El Chenier, Project Director and Associate Professor, Department of History, Simon Fraser University. 

We are grateful to everyone who contributed to this project. 

When you log into your account, you will be presented with an “Upload Interviews to the Site” link which will take you to the Add content page. This page is also accessible through the “Add content” link in the menu at the top of your screen when your are logged into the site. Follow the instructions on the page to upload your interviews. Uploading interviews is a two-step process:

1. You must first upload your media file(s) (audio or video) by going to the "Media" link on the "Add content" page. If your interview has more than one file, each must be uploaded individually. Give each media file a descriptive title, and if there are multiple parts to the interview that you are uploading, make sure to give them similar titles that clearly indicate this (for example: Interview with X Part 1; Interview with X Part 2). Make sure to click Upload to upload your file, and then Save the whole Media page when the file has completed uploading. Repeat the process to upload another media file.
2. You must then create an Interview page, which is a display page for your interview. Access the "Interview" form through the link on the "Add content" page. Give your interview a descriptive title; link to the Media you previously uploaded by typing in the title (it will appear in a drop-down box as you type; select the correct parts and click "Add another item" if you have more than one part to your interview); and then simply fill out the information as requested, as much or as little as you like. Consult the help text provided for each field if you need more guidance. Click the Save button at the bottom of the page when finished.

Your interview will not be immediately available online. ALOT will review it and publish it shortly after you complete the upload process. You will be able to view links to content you have uploaded through the link to My Content (also located on your profile page), and through the Bridging the Gap collection page. Some other important information for uploading:

• Your files must be in mp4 (video) or mp3 (audio) formats.
• For an mp4 video file, videos must be coded as H.264 or the video will not play. Try to make sure your video recording is set to record in this format, or optimize your video for the web using a program such as Handbrake. If you are unable to do so, still upload your video and ALOT will fix this error before your interview is published online.
• Contact us if you have any questions! For more information, watch this instructional video that will walk you through the process: