^{Małopolskie Centrum Kultury SOKÓŁ w Nowym Sączu
ul. Długosza 3, 33-300 Nowy Sącz
mcksokol.pl}

Since the 70s, Małopolskie Centrum Kultury (Małopolskie Centre of Culture) SOKÓŁ in Nowy Sącz has been conducting a systematic documentation of non-material cultural heritage of Małopolska (Lesser Poland), paying particular attention to the region’s folk culture and regional traditions. The assembled collection of audio and audiovisual files is a unique testimony of changes within the region’s music folklore.

The archive contains folk music, traditional singing, traditional dancing, rituals and practices, as well as ethnographic, ethnomusicological and dialectological interviews with folk artists, musicians and people from the eldest generation. The collection also holds material from festivals and contests, and from field work held by MCK SOKÓŁ. On top of that, researchers are conducting interviews with regional activists, who have contributed in many areas of folk culture. Simultanously, many different questionnaires as well as dissertations from all editions of MCK SOKÓŁ’s Folklore Studies are being archived.

There are also extensive collections of analog and digital photographs, negative and diapositive, documenting folk art, creators, folk bands, ritual groups and regional theatre ensembles from all around Małopolska.

Currently, the archive consists of c. 3000 field interviews (ethnographic, ethnomusicological and dialectological), c. 6000 analog and 145 000 digital photographs, and c. 72 000 hours of audiovisual material. Materials are often only remaining proves of certain cultural phenomena or certain creators’ work, which makes them valuable sources for scientific research, education and regional ensambles’ practice.

Right now, since 2025, MCK SOKÓŁ is carrying out a project called „Karpacka Biblioteka Cyfrowa” („Karpacka Digital Library”). Its aim is digitizing, substantive preparation, and online sharing of the unique resources of the non-material cultural heritage of Małopolska. Some part of materials is going to be converted into a digital form, including music and text transcripts from audio and video files that document folk music, dance and dialect, photographs of folk art, and field interviews. These resources are going to be shared for public use via a modern internet platform. 

Apart from carrying out the project, in 2025 MCK SOKÓŁ also collaborated with The Institute of Art PAN. The collaboration’s goal is incorporating documental recordings into the central repository Etnofon, so that they can be used in in-depth etnomusicological comparative research.