Visit the Rice Only Section of the Site for Information on accessing the archive (viewable only from a connection to the Rice network).

The Visual History Archive is a tool for use only by Rice University faculty, students and staff.  The requirements for accessing the archive are a Windows based computer with Windows Media Player v9 or higher installed and a direct connection to the Rice Network.  The Rice Dialup connection will be too slow to handle the streaming video, but will be fast enough to perform searches and request testimonies.

Training Guides:

To get started please read the current Visual History Archive User Training Guide it contains all the information that you'll need to access the archive and apply for an account. The previous version of the guide is also available.

The Visual History Archive Quick Reference Student Guide is a quick start guide that will give you just enough information to get started exploring the archive.

Testimony Catalog

The Testimony Catalog  is a stand-alone Windows only application that has access to a more limited amount of data on each testimony than the archive. It does, however, allow greater flexibility in searching the biographical profiles (Boolean)  attached to each testimony. The Testimony Catalog must be installed on your workstation before it can be used. Please contact  (shoah@rice.edu) for the software.

Headphone Usage - Troubleshooting Audio

If you are using headphones to listen to the testimonies and have problems hearing the audio, there are a few items you may want to check. First, make sure the headphones are plugged into the correct jack.  Usually the audio out jack is labeled in green with a small dot surrounded by sound waves and and an arrow pointing from the middle outward indicates sound out. Second, the system sound might be muted.  You can bring up the sound control panel by double clicking on the small speaker icon located next to the clock in the task bar or by going to the Sounds and Multimedia Control Panel.  Look to make sure the Mute option is not checked for System Sound and Sound Out (or Speakers) and adjust the volume slider to a suitable level.

Faculty members who are interested in the integration of the archive with their courses should contact shoah@rice.edu.