Everyone is experiencing this pandemic differently. While oral history is one way to document this experience, we know that not everyone is comfortable sharing their experiences in that format. There are many types of materials that people can create to express their experiences and share their stories without involving others.
Here are some examples of types of materials we are interested in collecting:
If you have an idea not listed here, please contact the Library.
Please see the Project Forms and Questions page to get appropriate forms and sample questions. Additional information about types of individual experiences can be found in the Resources for this Project page. Format requirements can be found on the How to Submit page.
An oral history interview is where one person interviews another about their experiences. They are usually recorded (audio or video). It can be about aspects of a person’s life or around a specific experience.
For this project, oral histories will be recorded and should include some background information about the person being interviewed and then focus on their experiences during the coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic.
Interview lengths can vary significantly but are likely to range from 15-60 minutes.
Individuals can be interviewed multiple times throughout the pandemic to document their ongoing experience. We recommend the same interviewer be used in this situation.
Look for examples of oral history interviews the Archives digital collection; Maritime Memory Oral History Project and Interview with Chris Clott in the Documenting COVID-19 at SUNY Maritime College collection.
Please see the Forms page to get appropriate forms and sample questions. Additional information about conducting oral histories can be found in the Resources for this Project page.