Oral History Workshop

Many people in our communities have lived through history that changed our society and our world. Their individual stories are priceless. these personal histories need to be recorded to help us make meaning of the past.

Sitting with a family member or stranger and capturing his or her personal walk through historic events creates a link between generations, and builds community as our understanding of history is enriched.

This workshop provides everything you need to know in order to conduct an oral history. The workshop is designed for anyone with a passion for storytelling, whether you are a genealogist wanting to document your family history, an educator striving to bring history to life for your students, or a local historian working on a community project.

Participants will learn “the best practices” for recording and archiving oral histories, as established by the oral history association.

A tour of the Sonoma County History and Genealogy Library (the “annex”) will follow the workshop. at the annex you will be introduced to materials that may be useful to your oral history project.