Description

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It has been half a century since the last book that addressed how historical societies can utilize oral history. In this brief, practical guide, internationally known oral historian Barbara W. Sommer applies the best practices of contemporary oral historians to the projects that historical organizations of all sizes and sorts might develop. The book
-covers project personnel options, funding options, legal and ethical issues, interviewing techniques, and cataloging guidelines;
-identifies helpful steps for historical societies when developing and doing oral history projects;
-includes a dozen model case studies;
-provides additional resources, templates, forms, and bibliography for the reader.

About the Author

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Barbara W. Sommer, M.A., has over twenty-five years of experience in the oral history field. She has been principal investigator and director of more than twenty major oral history projects and has taught at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Nebraska Wesleyan University, and Vermilion Community College. She is a long-time member of the Oral History Association and is author of many key publications in the field, including, with Mary Kay Quinlan, The Oral History Manual, 2nd ed. (AltaMira Press, 2009) and with Charles E. Trimble and Mary Kay Quinlan, The American Indian Oral History Manual: Making Many Voices Heard (Left Coast Press, Inc., 2008). Her award-winning book Hard Work and a Good Deal: The Civilian Conservation Corps in Minnesota (Minnesota Historical Society Press, 2008) draws on oral history interviews about the Civilian Conservation Corps, as does her essay, “’We Had This Opportunity:’ African Americans and the Civilian Conservation Corps in Minnesota,” in The State We’re In: Reflections on Minnesota History, Annette Atkins and Deborah L. Miller, eds, (Minnesota Historical Society Press, 2010). She also is the author of a history of the International Quilt Study Center and Museum at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln based on oral history (University of Nebraska Press, 2012). She holds a bachelor’s degree from Carleton College and a master’s degree in history from the University of Minnesota.

Praise For…

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"As more and more historical organizations delve into oral history, the need is even greater to have Practicing Oral History in Historical Organizations join the scholarly literature. This book will no doubt be the go-to book for historical entities wanting to incorporate oral history into their institutions. Sommer’s work is a welcomed and great addition to the field of oral history."

—Jeff D. Corrigan, The State Historical Society of Missouri

"In a world that has no shortage of oral history literature, Barbara Sommer has given us a fresh look by directing instruction to a specific audience: the historical organization. I found that context very constructive. She goes into terrific detail on the definition and evolution of the discipline of oral history, and on practical matters such as issues of law, privacy and memory. Overall, Sommer has crafted a good look at what oral history is, and what it is not. Those conducting oral history projects in historical organizations would find this work very useful."

 —Paul Eisloeffel, Nebraska State Historical Society