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Your grandfather served in World War II. Your neighbor was a Vietnam veteran. Your "old aunt" remembers using lye to make soap in the back yard. Have you ever asked them about their experiences? Have you ever wondered what they remember about these adventures? Here is your chance.
History is much more than remembering facts. History is all around us. It's in our families and in our communities. Doing an oral history project allows you to probe the memories of older people -- to ask them to tell you stories about their experiences. It allows you "to become a producer of historical knowledge, rather than a passive absorber of historical information." (Glen Whitman, http://www.doingoralhistory.org/)
Oral history records the feelings and impressions of a variety of people and gives a vivid picture of our past. It is a 'living history' of our family and our community.
- The vehicle for recording the past is to record interviews with this irreplaceable first hand information.
- These interviews provide a shared history and the opportunity to have face-to-face conversations about history.
- Interviews are then put into a form that is available to yourself and others.
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