Overview
The Recovery Speakers Archive is a digital audio archive preserving the spoken history of Twelve‑Step recovery. It provides free online access to more than 20,000 recordings spanning AA, Al‑Anon, and a growing number of other Twelve‑Step fellowships.
Scope statement (what we collect)
We collect and provide access to:
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Audio recordings of speaker talks, conventions, roundups, workshops, and recovery-history presentations connected to Twelve‑Step recovery
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Major tape-library collections and donated libraries (including the Midwest Tape Library, Dicobe Media Library, and the Altadena Collection)
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Descriptive information that helps discovery (speaker name as provided, program/fellowship, event, place, date, and related notes when available)
Out of scope (what we don’t collect)
This archive is focused on public-facing recovery audio and is not intended to collect or publish:
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Clinical/treatment records or private case files
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Materials whose publication would compromise privacy or safety
Provenance summary (how this archive was built)
The archive began with the legacy Mid‑West Tape Library, created by Bill and Arbutus O’Neal, who recorded hundreds of AA and Al‑Anon conventions over decades. In 2006, the collection was acquired so the preservation work could continue, and in 2007 digitization began at scale (including thousands of reel‑to‑reel tapes). Over time, additional libraries were added—most notably the Dicobe Media Library (added in 2021) and the Altadena Collection (donated to the archive). An additional collection from Ohio was added in 2025.
Date range
The Recovery Speakers Archive spans at least 1947 to the present, including rare late‑1940s wire recordings and ongoing additions.
Collection size (hours + digitized vs. undigitized)
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Digitized / online access: 20,000+ recordings currently hosted online
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Undigitized / at-risk: Thousands of additional physical recordings remain in ongoing preservation and digitization workflows (including reel‑to‑reel tapes)
Major strengths
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Large-scale conference and convention documentation (AA and Al‑Anon, plus additional Twelve‑Step fellowships)
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Historically significant early recordings, including wire and reel‑to‑reel source media
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Preservation in motion: ongoing digitization, restoration, and cataloging of at-risk recordings
Major sub-collections (start here)
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Midwest Tape Library Collection – the founding preservation collection that catalyzed Recovery Speakers
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Dicobe Media Library – a major acquired conference-recording catalog (added in 2021)
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Altadena Collection – a donated library with strong convention and speaker coverage
