Centre County Library & Historical Museum (CCLHM), Schlow Centre Region Library, and the Centre County Historical Society (CCHS) are partnering with StoryCorps—the national non-profit organization dedicated to recording, preserving, and sharing stories of people of all backgrounds and beliefs—to launch StoryCorps Connect.
StoryCorps Connect is a new, free platform that enables anyone to record a StoryCorps interview with a loved one remotely using any internet browser. The audio and a still photo from each interview are preserved at the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress. Interviews become part of American history, and hundreds of years from now, future generations will listen in.
Specifically, the technology enables connection with friends and family during the COVID-19 pandemic and, in the process, contributes to the creation of a unique first-person historical record of this unprecedented time.
CCLHM, Schlow Library, and CCHS worked together to develop the Centre County Memories community within the StoryCorps Connect platform where individual recordings by area residents can be uploaded into a unique collection of interviews.
These three Centre County organizations hope to encourage submissions particularly throughout November, as people consider how best to connect with loved ones and friends at a distance or capture conversations leading up to Thanksgiving and beyond.
“Collecting shared memories remotely is especially meaningful during this time when people are more isolated and reluctant or unable to get out in person,” said Mary Sorensen, executive director of the Centre County Historical Society. “Archiving stories through the easy-to-use StoryCorps Connect tool is a way to connect to Centre Countians, wherever they are, to provide context for our past and present for future generations.”
Anyone interested in participating can create a recorded conversation in three easy steps:
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Log in or create a free account at the StoryCorps Archive—This account will be used to prepare, record, save, and share your interviews. This step must be done by both interview participants and can be done on any device with internet connectivity.
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Have a Conversation—Follow the prompts in StoryCorps Connect to begin recording, and let the conversation flow!
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Share and Archive Your Interview—Link interviews here to any StoryCorps communities joined, like Centre Counties Memories.
To help those interested in getting started, CCLHM will host a special StoryCorps Connect “how-to” Zoom session at 11 a.m. on Saturday. The event is free with advance registration required. Details and sign-up info here.
StoryCorps is working with national partners, including the American Library Association, across the country to bring StoryCorps Connect to the public and to call on the country to honor stories of our elders at this momentous point in our history. While StoryCorps is a U.S.-based effort, StoryCorps Connect interviews can be conducted by anyone, anywhere in the world.
“Libraries are archives of human experience. We welcome this partnership with StoryCorps that will allow for the archiving of stories that speak to our collective endurance and resilience in real time,” said Tracie D. Hall, executive director of the American Library Association. “ALA is committed to engaging libraries and the communities they serve nationally in this opportunity to bear witness to their experiences during this extraordinary time. We hope to help foster wide participation, because in our darkest moments sharing stories provides a source of light.”
