Oral history is worth preserving. (Herald Times Reporter, 4/5/2011)
Excerpt: Susie Menk, former reference associate at Lester Public Library, developed a program series entitled, "Story Circles at the Library."
The series ran from March 2009 until November 2010 and it was a program for people of all ages to recall memories, reminisce and share history and life experiences orally. They shared forgotten details with peers and brought history to life for a younger generation. Participants helped guide the program and came up with a total of 18 session topics such as "First Jobs," "Life on the Farm," "War and the Home Front" and "The Great Depression."
From these Story Circles came the idea of an oral history project. By videotaping participants one-on-one, some of these stories and memories could be preserved. Future generations could hear, in the words of people who lived through it, what the Great Depression was like or how World War II affected life in Two Rivers.
Menk set up appointments with individuals. Armed with a video camera and an outline of questions to keep interviewees on task, she created a series of DVDs now available at the library. Topics contained in the DVDs are varied but some common themes prevail — World War II, family life, local businesses, education, commercial fishing, religion, taverns, farming and even UFOs.
Related article:
Story circles. (10/15/2009)
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