Frequently Asked Questions

I am having trouble using this website. What do I do?

If for any reason you are unable to contribute a story, image, or other file, please email your contribution, your name, and any further information you feel is helpful to info@hurricanearchive.org.

I wasn’t personally affected by the storms of 2005. Should I still submit my story, image or other file?

Please! We want to hear from you. Your experiences need not have been at or near the directly affected locations, nor do they need to be particularly heroic or harrowing tales. They can be short or much longer personal reminiscences about how you or the people you knew were affected by the storms.

I would like to submit multiple stories, images or other files to the Memory Bank. Do I have to upload them one by one?

If you are only submitting a few items, we ask that you upload them one by one through our online interface. If, however, you would like to submit more than 20 objects, you may contact us at info@hurricanearchive.org to make special arrangements for your contribution.

Are there any special guidelines for uploading images and files?

Images and other files larger than 5MB may not be uploaded through the web site interface. However, if you would like to contribute files larger than 5MB, you may e-mail us at info@hurricanearchive.org to make special arrangements.

Can I submit digital materials that do not fit into the categories of stories, images and other files?

No. At this time we are only accepting stories, images, and other files through our online interface. We will consider significantly large and important collections on a case by case basis. Please contact us at info@hurricanearchive.org if you would like to contribute such a collection to the Memory Bank.

I recently submitted a story, image or other file to the Memory Bank. Why doesn’t it appear on the web site? Why aren’t all the stories, images and other files in the Memory Bank available to the public?

For an object to be available on the website, contributors must agree to have the object made public and consent to a release. If the contributor has asked for the object to be held privately or has not consented to the release, the object will not be available on the web site. Moreover, sometimes Memory Bank staff will determine that a contributor lacks sufficient ownership rights to grant the Memory Bank permission to include an object on the web site.

Do I have to make my contribution available to the public?

No. When you submit a story, image or other file to the Memory Bank, we will ask you whether or not you want your submission made public. If you choose to keep it private, it will be held in the Memory Bank, but not made available on the web site. If at any time you change your mind and want a public submission made private, or vice-versa, please contact us at info@hurricanearchive.org.

Yes. All contributors retain copyrights to any objects submitted to the Hurricane Digital Memory Bank, because you still own the materials. Nothing may be used for any public purpose without the permission of the Hurricane Digital Memory Bank and the original contributor.

How do I get permission to use materials from the Memory Bank?

Please e-mail us at info@hurricanearchive.org if you would like to use an object from the Memory Bank. Objects from the Memory Bank may not be used for any public purpose without the permission of the Hurricane Digital Memory Bank and the original contributor.

How do I know that the content of the Hurricane Digital Memory Bank is factual?

Every submission to the Hurricane Digital Memory Bank—even those that are erroneous, misleading, or dubious—contributes in some way to the historical record. A misleading individual account, for example, could reveal certain personal and emotional aspects of the event that would otherwise be lost in a strict authentication and appraisal process. That said, most people who take the time to submit something to the Hurricane Digital Memory Bank share the goal of its organizers—that is, to create a reliable and permanent record of responses to the storms of 2005—and therefore most contributions are authentic. Nevertheless, as with any historical sources (including, for example, newspaper accounts), there are always questions about reliability, and all researchers need to evaluate their sources critically. It is for this reason that the Memory Bank harvests metadata from every contributor—including name, email address, location, zip code, gender, age, occupation, date received—and suggests that these metadata be examined in relation to one another, in relation to the content of the submission, and in relation to other authenticated records. Sound research technique is the basis of sound scholarship. Researchers with particular concerns should contact info@hurricanearchive.org for more information.

How can I help the Hurricane Digital Memory Bank?

First and foremost, by submitting your stories, images, and other files through the website and telling your friends about the Memory Bank. If you think you might be able to help in other ways, please feel free to contact us at info@hurricanearchive.org.