What is Oral History and Why is it Important?

This introductory workshop will help participants define oral history in relationship to the history of the practice and other forms of interviewing and storytelling. Participants will learn what motivates oral historians to do their work and what might motivate them to initiate projects of their own. Participants will also learn how to discover archival oral history interviews and begin to understand what makes a good interview. Finally, participants will think about how to turn their topical interests into guiding research questions.

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About the Workshop Series

The DC Oral History Collaborative Workshop Series is a set of training sessions aimed at, over time, providing participants with an in-depth understanding of oral history principles and practices. The series consists of several core workshops that provide participants with a more detailed exploration of some of the key topics and themes of the DC Oral History Collaborative 101+ Workshop.

Other core workshops in the series include: Recording Oral History, Planning Oral History Projects, Oral History Interviewing, and Archiving and Presenting Oral History.

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The DC Oral History Collaborative (DCOHC) documents, preserves, and celebrates the lived experiences of all Washington, DC residents and communities through oral history. The Collaborative accomplishes this by providing training, mentorship, resources, programs, and funding to current and aspiring oral historians. The Collaborative is a partnership of HumanitiesDC and the DC Public Library

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