University of Wisconsin Oral History Program Director Troy Reeves (Madison) will discuss the do’s-and-don’ts of gathering useful testimony for historical research, library archives, and family records. The workshops are free and open to the public.
The introductory workshops will focus specifically on how to properly conduct oral history interviews, including project planning, technology, good questions and follow-up questions, and the importance of signed release forms. Reeves will allow time for Q & A and, if time allows, include at least one interactive exercise.
Reeves has led the oral history program at University of Wisconsin-Madison since 2007. From 1999-2006, he directed the Idaho State Historical Society Oral History Center in Boise. In both states Reeves has overseen collecting and curating oral history recordings, as well as communicating and collaborating with interested individuals about the art and science of oral history.
He has managed oral history projects on many topics, including cultural, political, and environmental history, and has written for a number of historical journals, including Western Historical Quarterly, Public Historian, and the Oral History Review. He has held leadership roles in the national Oral History Association, and is the managing editor of the Oral History Review, the journal of oral history for the U.S. Reeves also is a member of the Wisconsin Humanities Council.
The workshops are sponsored by the Idaho Humanities Council, the state-based partner of the National Endowment for the Humanities. The IHC’s mission is to deepen understanding of human experience by connecting people with ideas through educational programs for teachers and the general public. More about the IHC at www.idahohumanities.org.
