Kopana Terry is a preservationist, photographer, musician, producer, oral historian and archivist/librarian. She has over twenty years experience in libraries and archives focused on digital collections with an emphasis on traditional and digital preservation, newspapers, oral history, and media reformatting. Since 2013, she has been the Oral History Archivist for Louie B. Nunn Center for Oral History where she manages the care and feeding of the archive, the catalogue and content management system SPOKEdb digital preservation, and Oral History Metadata Synchronizer (OHMS) indexing supervision. She is also the Curator of Newspapers for the Kentucky Digital Newspaper Program at the University of Kentucky Libraries. From 2007-2013, she managed the NEH-funded National Digital Newspaper Program for Kentucky as part of the Library of Congress’ Chronicling America newspaper database and she created meta|morphosis: film-to-digital lecture series for global newspaper and microfilm digitization training. She holds a BA in Fine Art [Photography], Masters of Library and Information Science [Preservation and Archives] (MLIS), and presently working on her masters degree in Historic Preservation (MHP) all from the University of Kentucky. That’s just her day job. Click “More” below for her efforts outside the 9 to 5.
Kopana Terry
Margaret I. King Library, Room 106
Special Collections Research Center
University of Kentucky
Lexington, KY 40506-0039
tel: 859.218.1423
fax: 859.257.6311
kopana.terry@uky.edu
Crew of Big Picture Productions, Halcomb House Oral History Project, 2022
ORAL HISTORY PROJECTS
Terry, Kopana. 15 oral histories conducted 1991-ongoing. Terry (Casebolt), Adams, Prater, Hamilton Family Oral History Project. Louie B. Nunn Center for Oral History, University of Kentucky Libraries, Lexington, KY. https://kentuckyoralhistory.org/ark:/16417/xt7fxp6v148p
Terry, Kopana. 5 oral histories conducted 2015-ongoing. Conversations with Gurney (Norman) Oral History Project. Louie B. Nunn Center for Oral History, University of Kentucky Libraries, Lexington, KY. https://kentuckyoralhistory.org/ark:/16417/xt737p8tdp3n
Terry, Kopana. 2 oral histories conducted 2015-ongoing. Erin Chandler Oral History Project. Louie B. Nunn Center for Oral History, University of Kentucky Libraries, Lexington, KY. https://kentuckyoralhistory.org/ark:/16417/xt7b5m627w3p
Terry, Kopana. 35 oral histories conducted 2020-ongoing. Gig Economy Workers in the Arts During the COVID-19 Era Oral History Project. Louie B. Nunn Center for Oral History, University of Kentucky Libraries, Lexington, KY. https://kentuckyoralhistory.org/ark:/16417/xt713b1b178dx
Terry, Kopana. 7 oral history conducted 2021-ongoing. Francis Joseph “F.J.” Halcomb, Jr. House Oral History Project. Louie B. Nunn Center for Oral History, University of Kentucky Libraries, Lexington, KY. https://kentuckyoralhistory.org/ark:/16417/xt7zmmr7d2llz
CONTRIBUTED INTERVIEWS
Terry, Kopana. University of Kentucky Special Collections Research Center Student Research Experiences: University of Kentucky Libraries Diversity Fellow and Intern Programs Oral History Project. Interview conducted with Christine Gilbert-Crawford, 2015. Louie B. Nunn Center for Oral History, University of Kentucky Libraries, Lexington, KY. https://kentuckyoralhistory.org/ark:/16417/xt731z41v73b
Terry, Kopana. Kentucky Newspapers Oral History Project. Interview conducted with Jeff Spradling, 2015. Louie B. Nunn Center for Oral History, University of Kentucky Libraries, Lexington, KY. https://kentuckyoralhistory.org/ark:/16417/xt7zs756hr0t
Terry, Kopana. University of Kentucky Special Collections Research Center Student Research Experiences: University of Kentucky Libraries Diversity Fellow and Intern Programs Oral History Project. Interview conducted with Sarah Pham and La Trisha Blunt, 2015. Louie B. Nunn Center for Oral History, University of Kentucky Libraries, Lexington, KY. https://kentuckyoralhistory.org/ark:/16417/xt7wh7080q61
Terry, Kopana. University of Kentucky: Libraries Oral History Project. Interview conducted with Gail Kennedy, 2018. Louie B. Nunn Center for Oral History, University of Kentucky Libraries, Lexington, KY. https://kentuckyoralhistory.org/ark:/16417/xt7hmg7ftw2n
Terry, Kopana. Kentucky History: General Oral History Project. Interview conducted with Minnie Sue Lane Nelson, 2018. Louie B. Nunn Center for Oral History, University of Kentucky Libraries, Lexington, KY. https://kentuckyoralhistory.org/ark:/16417/xt7j7cssgq0gg
Terry, Kopana. University of Kentucky Special Collections Research Center Student Research Experiences: Nunn Center Alumni Oral History Project. Interview conducted with Zoe Dennhardt, 2019. Louie B. Nunn Center for Oral History, University of Kentucky Libraries, Lexington, KY. https://kentuckyoralhistory.org/ark:/16417/xt717gff14rcw
Terry, Kopana. Frontier Nursing Service Oral History Project. Interview conducted with Silas Dwane House, 2019. Louie B. Nunn Center for Oral History, University of Kentucky Libraries, Lexington, KY. https://kentuckyoralhistory.org/ark:/16417/xt7ctj70qc2ww
Terry, Kopana. University of Kentucky: Libraries Oral History Project. Interview conducted with Judy Anne Sackett, 2020. Louie B. Nunn Center for Oral History, University of Kentucky Libraries, Lexington, KY. https://kentuckyoralhistory.org/ark:/16417/xt74m6qlv919t
Terry, Kopana. University of Kentucky: Libraries Oral History Project. Interview conducted with Jennifer Schatz Bartlett, 2022. Louie B. Nunn Center for Oral History, University of Kentucky Libraries, Lexington, KY. https://kentuckyoralhistory.org/ark:/16417/xt7d53s7w2xj5
service
PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATION MEMBERSHIPS
International
International Federation of Libraries and Archives, 2017-present
National
Oral History Association, 2013-present
National Trust for Historic Preservation, 2020-present
Vernacular Architecture Forum, 2022-present
Society of American Archivists, 2005-2014, 2022-present
Association of Recorded Sound Collections, 2005-2009
The Recording Academy, 1988-1992
Broadcast Music Incorporated (BMI), 1986-1992
State
Blue Grass Trust for Historic Preservation, 2020-present
Kentucky Council on Archives, 2022-Present
Lexington Art League, 2001-2003
Kentucky Council on Archives, 2002- 2009
PROFESSIONAL SERVICE
International
International Federation of Libraries and Archives (IFLA), Standing Committee member, News Media Section, 2021-2024
International Federation of Libraries and Archives (IFLA), Secretary, News Media Section, 2017-2019
International Federation of Libraries and Archives (IFLA), Standing Committee member, News Media Section, 2017-2021
International Federation of Libraries and Archives (IFLA), News Media Section Satellite Session Chair, 2016
National
Oral History Association Publications Committee, 2016-2018
State
Blue Grass Trust for Historic Preservation deTour Committee, 2021-present
Lexington Art League, Visual Arts Committee, 2001-2003
Terry, Kopana and Judy Sackett, Making Oral History Interviews Accessible at the Louie B. Nunn Center for Oral History, Kentucky Libraries, Spring 2017
Terry, Kopana Paging through the Past: Kentucky’s Newspapers on the National Newsstand. Kentucky Libraries. Kentucky Libraries; Fall 2008, Vol. 72 Issue 4, p18 http://connection.ebscohost.com/
Terry, Kopana Kentucky’s Newspapers Digitized. The Kentucky Archivist.
Terry, Kopana Mixed Media. Midwest Archives Council Newsletter
Weig, Eric and Terry, Kopana and Lybarger, Kathryn (May/June 2007) Large Scale Digitization of Oral Histories: A Case Study. DLib Magazine, Volume 13 Number 5/6, ISSN 1082-9873http://dlib.org/dlib/may07/weig/05weig.html
Terry, Kopana Pay the Lawyer: Creatives and their Rights. Arts Across Kentucky.
Terry, Kopana Song Farmers: Wishing Chair Plant Themselves in Your Living Room. Arts Across Kentucky.
Terry, Kopana Appalachian Vision: The Transcendental Photography of Tracy Hawkins. Arts Across Kentucky.
Terry, Kopana Reeling in the Years: 25 Years of the Reel World String Band. Arts Across Kentucky.
Terry, Kopana A Perfect Marriage: The Kentucky Foundation for Women and Director Dr. Judi Jennings, PhD. Arts Across Kentucky.
SELECT PRESENTATIONS
Gig Economy Workers in the Arts During the Covid-19 Era, Oral History Association Annual Conference, Los Angeles, CA, October 2022
The New Normal: Towards Sustainable Digital Oral History Archives, joint Electronic Records Section (ERS) and Oral History Section (OHS), Society of American Archivists Annual Meeting, August 2, 2022
Pivoting Standard Services for the New Remote Reality, Kentucky Library Association Annual Conference, Carrollton, KY, April 7, 2022
If It’s Not in the Newspapers, Don’t Believe It, with Reinette Jones, Blue Grass Trust for Historic Preservation Hopemont Lecture Series, virtual, Lexington, KY January 21, 2022
Moving the forest for the trees: implementing SPOKEdb– leveraging an Omeka and OHMS-based, content-management solution for archives and repositories, with Christian Lopez, Sarah McCoy, and Doug Boyd. Oral History Association Annual Conference (OHA), virtual, October 2021
Many Mountains, Much News, Individual presentation and panel discussion with JoAnne Deekin, Stewart Plein, Errol Somay, Kopana Terry, Appalachian Studies Association Annual Conference, Eastern Tennessee State University, Johnson City, TN 2015
Kentucky’s Newspapers: From Analogue Beginnings to Digital Frontier – IFLA (2015: Pretoria, South Africa)
How OHMS changed the Nunn Center Workflow – Oral History Association (2014: Madison, WI)
meta | morphosis: going live – Library of Congress (2012: Washington, D.C.)
Harlan County, USA, panelist – Southern Humanities Council (2012: Louisville, KY)
Exploring Production Models – Library of Congress (2011 Washington, D.C.)
meta | morphosis: from real-time to online – Library of Congress (2011 Washington, D.C.)
Analog to Digital: Photography Copyright – Special Libraries Association (2009: Covington, KY)
Best Practices for Audio Preservation, chair, Midwest Archives Council (2008: Louisville, KY)
Multiple presentations at *meta | morphosis: the university of kentucky film-to-digital institute (*including Microfilm and Newspaper Evaluation, Imaging 101, and *KY-NDNP) (*2006-2009: Lexington, KY)
NDNP Phase II, Kentucky NDNP Advisory Board (2008: Lexington, KY)
Digitizing Historic Newspapers with Kathryn Lybarger, Kentucky Library Association (KLA) (2007: Louisville, KY)
Beyond the Shelf with Rebecca Ryder, SOLINET (2004: Washington, D.C.)
Introducing Beyond the Shelf with Rebecca Ryder, KLA Academic Section (2003: Louisville, KY)
Master of Historic Preservation University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY (TBA)
Master of Library and Information Science University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY (2008)
Bachelor of Art, Studio Art-Photography University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY (1997)
Certificate of Audio Engineering The Recording Workshop, Chillicothe, OH (1984)
RELATED EXPERIENCE
Grant Writer
Grant Proposal Reviewer
Select Video Production
Produced, directed, edited, and scripted film tutorials for meta|morphosis
Produced, directed, edited and scored film tutorials on Chronicling America for the National Endowment for the Humanities available at EDSITEment (available by end December 2012)
