National Day of Listening

Have you ever wished that you had taken the time to interview family members about their past? Would you like to create oral histories of family members for future generations? The National Day of Listening is sponsored by StoryCorps and a description of their program from the National Day of Listening web site appears below:

"This Thanksgiving, StoryCorps asks you to start a new holiday tradition—set aside one hour on Friday, November 28th, to record a conversation with someone important to you. You can interview anyone you choose: an older relative, a friend, a teacher, or a familiar face from the neighborhood.

You can preserve the interview using recording equipment readily available in most homes, such as tape recorders, computers, video cameras or a pen and paper. Our free Do-It-Yourself Guide is easy to use and will prepare you and your interview partner to record a memorable conversation, no matter which method of recording you prefer.

We hope that you’ll make a yearly tradition of listening to and preserving a loved one’s story. The stories you collect will surely become treasured keepsakes, growing more valuable with each passing generation."

To learn more, visit the following sites:

National Day of Listening

Story Corps

American Folklife Center / Library of Congress

Veteran's History Project

Maine Folklife Center / University of Maine