Orality and Technology, or the Bit and the Byte: The Work of the World Oral Literature Project

Exploring the role of literacy and technology in the production and documentation of oral literature, this essay focuses on the activities of World Oral Literature Project. Digital archiving, community partnerships, sustainable funding models, and online publishing are addressed citing examples of successful and collaborative interventions. The essay makes the case for open knowledge partnerships that acknowledge community ownership of cultural traditions and proposes equitable and transparent database structures and curatorial practices