Let's Talk About
Oral History

Throughout the Ages, oral history was the traditional way people learned about their ancestors. Nowadays, it is rare to use this method to pass on your family history. But, it can be a wonderful way to do so!

Families have stories

Think of the impact of hearing the voices of relatives, especially those who lived long before you, telling about their lives and their experiences. You get the opportunity to hear them, in their own voices and with the unique nuances of their personality, describe the most significant events of their lives.

It's like time traveling.

As you might imagine, the retelling of military experiences can be extremely powerful. Veterans are often kidded about telling their “war stories”, but let’s face it, these experiences had a lasting impact on these veterans and sharing those experiences allows others to understand how important they are to them. Of course, these are invaluable history lessons for future generations.

An ongoing effort to preserve their stories, the Veterans History Project, is directed by the American Folklife Center of the Library of Congress. This is an excellent oral-history project and you can learn more about it here.

A soldier with child in Iraq - photo by Damir Sagolj / Reuters News Service ***Note: Think about the many members of the Armed Services currently oversees in areas like Afghanistan and Iraq. They will have experiences that need to be remembered and preserved, not to glorify them, but to tell their story.****

This photo taken Damir Sagolj - Reuters News Service - shows something we normally don't see in media pictures from Iraq, a poignant moment with a soldier and child.

Today there are many ways to preserve your family history or tell your life story. This doesn't mean that oral history should be discounted. On the contrary, the improvement of recording equipment and the ability to transfer digital recordings to a computer and make a CD or DVD keepsake make audio recordings a terrific format.

To do it right requires thinking it through. Who will do the interview? Make sure you have a script. Think about the questions ahead of time. Allow for enough time to conduct the interview. You might need to break it up in to multiple sessions.

You want to have the right equipment, too. You can certainly use a cassette recorder, but the price and convenience of digital recorders makes this an attractive way to go. Especially as you can transfer the digital recordings to a computer, edit it easier and you don't lose quality transferring or copying the audio.

If you decide you want to purchase a digital audio recorder (also known as Voice Recorders and Transcribers) shop around. You'll find they are pretty affordable, as little as $50 to a few hundred dollars for higher end equipment.

Before You Let the
“Good Times Roll”...Prepare!

When you prepare to record an oral history consider the setting. You want the person you interview to be comfortable and ready to talk. You want to be prepared with your questions. Make sure there aren't going to be unnecessary interruptions.

Avoid background noise. Check for open windows, the hum of a refrigerator, or noisy ceiling fans or air conditioning. Turn off the phone ringer. Make sure you aren't getting background noise like pets. Chirping birds or an occasional barking dog may not seem like a big deal at the time, but will be annoying when you playback the recording.

If you are seated at a table make sure the microphone is closest to the person you are getting the story from. If the table is glass covered or hard surface put a blanket or table cloth down to absorb sound. In addition, some rooms can have an echo, like the kitchen.

Test out the recorder with some normal conversation first and then play it back to see how it sounds. Make adjustments as necessary.

You also might need to coach the person you are interviewing. People can often trail off at the end of their sentences, particularly when recalling sensitive or emotional memories. Politely remind them to speak clearly and slowly.

Check out Listen! - International Day for Sharing Life Stories, on May 16th 2008. The day will be an opportunity for people around the world to gather in community halls, classrooms, public parks, theaters, auditoriums, as well as websites, email exchanges, and virtual environments to hear each other’s stories. Details here.

You can learn more about oral history through the Oral History Institute and their annual gathering that teaches over two and a half days all stages of oral history. More information here.

Get additional helpful information at:
Association of Personal Historians
A member directory, many helpful articles and information about personal history preservation.

Oral History Society
What is Oral History? How can I use oral history? The Oral History Society gives lots of great information.

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Let's Talk About Oral History

Before You Let the “Good Times Roll”...Prepare!

Let's Talk About
Oral History

Before You Let the
“Good Times Roll”...Prepare!