Storytelling, oral history, and building the library community

The aim of oral history is to shed light on the past, inform the present, and inspire the future by reflecting on prior experiences. Storytelling connects the past to the present, allowing humans to conceptualize about historical and contemporary events. Since storytelling was first introduced into library programming in the early twentieth century, it has proven to be a revered event for patrons, librarians, and the community. The authors argue that oral history is a valuable tool that can be used when preparing local history programs in libraries. We provide general guidelines for librarians who would like to incorporate collecting oral histories and locally based storytelling in their programming.