The time-consuming task of archiving and disseminating data is not a priority with most phoneticians. As a result, finding a suitable ready-made corpus is no easy task; researchers often rely on corpora of questionable value. Looking back at a century of speech recording, the legacy is not as extensive—and nowhere as tidy—as the layman would think. This paper calls for a " Corpus quality standard ". The argument (based on detailed examples) is that small-scale programs adhering to simple standards can actually go to build the databases we need. A quality standard would make data publication easier (thus fostering research) and allow for a smoother transition into the shelves of libraries, fulfilling the phoneticians' key role in documenting the languages of the world.