Harmonizing Oral History Programs in NYC’s Public Library Systems

The New York Public Library

Written by WillaArmstrong on Thu, 02/18/2016 – 18:02

Within and throughout our organizations, terrific oral history programs are being developed, including at least one thriving program in each of the three public library systems of New York City. Let’s find a way to synchronize the programming around, technology for, and use of the collections and programs of these three systems. Diverse models and platforms are being explored and used, let’s also explore ways to share knowledge and build communal infrastructure to support these efforts. There are models where staff, university partners, and trained community members are gathering stories. There are an array of technologies from recording devices, editing software, and transcription creation. The sharing of oral histories is accomplished through podcasts, excerpting, full transcripts, and fusion with visual material on a range of platforms. In this rich environment of models and technologies there are many paths a METRO Fellow could take towards supporting these programs and creating bridges between them. The nine months of the fellowship could be fruitfully spent on projects such as the gathering of documentation for training models, the exploration of a shared online platform, or the coordination of programming for a week of oral history or a common space to share out about oral history events in the city.