The Oral History Manual (American Association for State & Local History) - Softcover

Barbara W. Sommer and Mary Kay Quinlan have written a concise yet sophisticated guide for community groups embarking on oral history projects. It is also an excellent resource for seasoned professionals who routinely conduct oral history workshops for historical societies and museums.--Lu Ann Jones "Oral History Review " Oral History Manual certainly merits reading by family historians who are interested in the mechanics of oral interviews. Its authors are extremely knowledgeable oral history technicians . . . it is worth adding to any oral historian's library.--Sheila Benedict, CGRS "National Genealogical Society Quarterly " Authors Barbara Sommer and Mary Kay Quinlan produced a practical guide for those involved in this field. Both have multiple years of experience as oral historians, and the clear, engaging style of this volume fully illustrates their expertise . . . invaluable to anyone involved with oral histories . . . [a] necessary guide for public historians and others involved in research.--Debra A. Blake, Office of Archives and History "North Carolina Historical Review, Vol. Lxxx, No. 3, July '03 " In The Oral History Manual Barbara W. Sommer and Mary Kay Quinlan answer nearly any question the budding, or experienced, oral historian could possibly conjure . . . comprehensive but concise . . . Many manuals of style and technique exist, but this is perhaps the most straightforward, easy-to-use, and readily available one on the market . . . given the increasing awareness in primary and secondary schools of the importance of oral history in their curricula, as well as the swelling number of historical societies, private institutions, and individuals interested in the craft of oral preservation, this book should find a place on many a bookshelf.--Kimberly K. Porter, University of North Dakota "The Annals Of Iowa, Vol. 62, No. 2, Spring 2003 " ...a how-to guide for mastering the techniques of oral history and methods for collecting and processing the audio results....Quinlan and Sommer provide good, practical advice regarding the interview setting, interview techniques, and processing and care of oral histories. They deal with copyright issues, Internet distribution, interview equipment, project budgets and research preparation. Notes at the end of each chapter provide excellent resources for each of the topics. They also provide appendices with forms for keeping a project organized and obtaining important information as well as a glossary of terms, a tremendously useful annotated bibliography, and an index.--Donna Sinclair, Oregon Historical Quarterly and Portland State University "Oregon Historical Quarterly " Covers in good detail all the basic steps of setting up an oral history project. . . . Chapters discuss legal and ethical issues; technology; pre-interview activities such as background research; the interview itself; processing; and preservation of the final product. There is also an extensive list of ideas of how to incorporate the interviewinto public programming. . . . The volume also includes sample forms, a glossary, bibliography, and reprints the principles and standards of the Oral History Association. The Oral History Manual presents one of the most cogent descriptions of oral history and how it differs from other methods of information gathering, whether the journalist interview or field-interviewing as conducted by folklorists.--Linda Morton-Keithley, Idaho State Historical Society "Northwest Oral History Association "

In The Oral History Manual, Barbara Sommer and Mary Kay Quinlan have designed a guide to help anyone interested in doing oral history research think like an oral historian. Written with direct, clear language, the manual offers step-by-step instructions, checklists, full-size reproducible forms, sample planning documents, project descriptions and summary sheets, sample materials, and extensive illustrations to help guide readers in taking ideas for an oral history project and turning them into a successful format.