Message-ID: <B0050698955@listserve.uwec.edu>
From: "2009 WI Oral History Day" <treeves@library.wisc.edu>
Subject: 2009 WI Oral History Day: the official "invitation"
Date: Mon, 16 Mar 2009 10:09:16 -0500
Hello, all:
2009 Wisconsin Oral History Day, April 26 & 27, Eau Claire (Chi
ppewa Valley Museum & UW--Eau Claire campus)
If you don't want to peruse or even scan my multi-paragraph monolog
ue that follows my name and titles, you can just go to the following website
:
http://www.slis.wisc.edu/continueed/oralhist/
It has most of my monologue below (under the Why Wisconsin Oral His
tory Day link), as well as the current program information, and links to the
registration form and travel, parking, and lodging information. This
website will be updated occasionally with more program details, so please ch
eck back between now and April 26 & 27.
One last thing, please do not hesitate to forward this information,
particularly the link to the website to anyone in the state, region, or cou
ntry who might be interested in finding out more about this event.
Great thanks,
Troy Reeves
Head, UW--Madison Oral History Program
Convener, Wisconsin Oral History Day
2
009 Wisconsin Oral History Day: Essential Questions Answered
Why Wisconsin Oral History Day?
The organization charged with overseeing oral history thr
oughout the U.S.—The Oral History Association—has defined oral history a
s a method of gathering and preserving first-hand information through record
ed interviews with participants in past events and ways of life. People throughout the U.S. have used this historical pra
ctice since the days after the Revolutionary War through World War II, inclu
ding the 19th Century efforts of Lyman Draper at the Wisconsin Hi
storical Society. Since 1945 and with assistan
ce from advancements in technology, specifically the tape recorder, men and
women throughout the country have embarked on oral history interviews and pr
ojects of every shape and size. In Wisconsin t
he last sixty years have brought oral history projects at the statewide leve
l, such as at the Wisconsin Historical Society & Wisconsin Veterans Muse
um, and the campus level, with projects and programs at UW—LaCrosse and La
wrence University, to mention two. There have
been myriad projects and interviews done at the local, community, and indivi
dual level, too.
In the early 21st Century, doing quality oral
history has become as important as ever. In th
is age people communicate probably more than ever, with assistance from rece
nt technologies, such as cell phones and email. Those same people, however, will communicate in great detail (or in a way
that can be preserved) less than ever. Creatin
g a situation where a person’s stories, memories, and opinions and the con
text around them can be gathered and preserved can help to bridge this resou
rce gap. Oral history does serve as a logical
way to build primary-source material for future students, educators, histori
ans, and interested individuals.
For all of these reasons and more, the UW—Madison Oral
History Program (OHP) head, Troy Reeves designed Wisconsin Oral History Day
(WOHD) to bring together people from around the state and region interested
in the practice and methodology of oral history to a single location to lear
n the steps to conduct quality oral histories, to discuss extent projects, t
o network regarding future collaboration, and to strengthen the guild of pas
t, present, and future practitioners of oral history.
What comprises the 2009 WI Oral History Day?
The 2009 Wisconsin Oral History Day will be held on April
26 & 27 in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. The Sun
day night opening session (6-8 pm) will be held at the Chippewa Valley Museu
m with a presentation by Dr. Jim Leary, entitled "Oral History and Public Fo
lklore: Working with Joua Bee Xiong.” The opening session, sponsored in pa
rt by the Wisconsin Humanities Council, will include appetizers, desserts, a
nd beverages.
Most of Monday’s morning activities focuses on oral his
tory project planning, beginning with a mini-workshop, led by UW—Madison O
ral History Program Head, Troy Reeves, and finishing with a presentation on
community planning in diverse setting, given by Baylor University Oral Histo
ry Program Director, Stephen Sloan. In between
those events, students from UW—Eau Claire students will offer a case stud
y of project planning as they discussed a current oral history project with
the UW—Eau Claire Women’s Studies Program.
Monday’s keynote will be offered in the afternoon by in
dependent oral historian/author Barb Sommer. S
ommer, who resides in St. Paul, will present, “The Story Behind the Manual
: The Creation of The American Indian Oral History Manual: Ma
king Many Voices Heard. As with Leary’s
talk, the Wisconsin Humanities Council sponsored Sommer’s presentation.
Also, on Monday there will be panels/roundtables with stu
dents, teachers, and professors and lunch and morning and afternoon snacks/d
rinks provided for registered attendees. The D
ay will end with a brief wrap-up, led by Reeves and Sloan, as they and the a
ttendees review what did transpire and how best to move WOHD forward. All of Monday’s events will be held on UW—Eau Cl
aire’s campus, primarily due to the support the university’s history dep
artment.
For more details, including registration form and cost, g
o to http://www.sl
is.wisc.edu/continueed/oralhist/ or contact WOHD’s program chair, Troy
Reeves, at 608-890-1899 or tree
ves@library.wisc.edu.
###