View Project

G2S Project Code: 2014-CT-73092
State: Connecticut
Fiscal Year: 2014
Grantee
HALL MEMORIAL LIBRARY

Project Director
Director Name: Francie Berger
Director Phone: 860-870-3160
Director Email: francieberger@gmail.com
General Information
Title: Ellington Oral History Project - Hall
State Project Code:
Start Date: 07/01/2014
End Date: 09/30/2015
Abstract: In order to collect information about local history, the Hall Memorial Library in Ellington partnered with the Ellington Historical Society and Ellington Senior Center to implement a town-wide Oral History Project, including professional training on interviewing techniques, the purchase of digital recording equipment, completion of 16 oral history interviews, professional transcription of the interviews, and preservation and scanning of related documents and photos.
State Goal: Literacies and learning
Budget Information
LSTA
MATCH-State
MATCH-Other
Total
$5,000.00
$0.00
$1,399.00
$6,399.00
Intent(s)
Improve users' general knowledge and skills.
Arts, Culture & Humanities
History
Activities
Activity Details
Title: Oral history training
Narrative: The library hired professional oral history instructors to train five adult volunteers in conducting interviews. Additionally, four student volunteers were trained by one of the original adult trainees.

                                      


Intent: Improve users' general knowledge and skills.

Activity: Instruction
Mode: Program
Format: In-person


Quantity
Session length (minutes): 360
Number of sessions in program: 1
Average number in attendance per session: 4
Number of times program administered: 2


Partner Information
Organization Type of Partner Organization(s):
Libraries: No
Historical Societies or Organizations: No
Museums: No
Archives: No
Cultural Heritage Organization Multi-type: No
Preschools: No
Schools: No
Adult Education: No
Human Service Organizations: No
Other: No


Legal Type of Partner Organization(s):
Federal Government: No
State Government: No
Local Government (excluding school districts): No
School District: No
Non-Profit: No
Private Sector: No
Tribe/Native Hawaiian Organization: No


Beneficiaries
Is the activity directed at the library workforce: No
For a targeted group or for the general population: General


Locale
Is the activity state-wide: No
Specific Locations: Yes
Name: HALL MEMORIAL LIBRARY
Address: 93 MAIN STREET
City: ELLINGTON
State: CT
Zip: 06029

Activity Details
Title: Local history collection
Narrative: The library initiated an ongoing program to collect, preserve, and make accessible the stories of past and current town residents for future generations. The Oral History Project, a collaboration between Hall Memorial Library, the Ellington Historical Society, and the Ellington Senior Center, augmented the library's heavily utilized local history collection.

The oral history team conducted sixteen interviews during the project period and scheduled several more for the following months. These sixteen interviews were professionally transcribed. Nineteen interviews from an earlier project in 2000-2001 were digitized and transcribed, and permission-to-use letters have been signed by either the original participants or their descendants. The library now has 35 oral history transcripts cataloged as reference materials that are available for the public to use in the library.

In addition, the library conducted a town-wide scanning day when residents could bring personal photos to be scanned at the library. On the scanning day held during the project period, only four photographs were digitized, but additional scanning days were planned for the fall of 2015. These images were then added to the library's collection, with permission from the owners. The photos will become part of the library's long-term project to put its entire local history image collection online within two years. The photographs are now available to be viewed upon request.


Intent: Improve users' general knowledge and skills.

Activity: Content
Mode: Creation
Format: Combined physical & digital


Quantity
Number of items digitized: 39
Number of items digitized and available to the public: 39
Number of physical items: 35
Number of open-source applications/software/systems: 0
Number of proprietary applications/software/systems: 0
Number of learning resources (e.g. toolkits, guides): 0
Number of plans/frameworks: 0


Partner Information
Organization Type of Partner Organization(s):
Libraries: No
Historical Societies or Organizations: No
Museums: No
Archives: No
Cultural Heritage Organization Multi-type: No
Preschools: No
Schools: No
Adult Education: No
Human Service Organizations: No
Other: No


Legal Type of Partner Organization(s):
Federal Government: No
State Government: No
Local Government (excluding school districts): No
School District: No
Non-Profit: No
Private Sector: No
Tribe/Native Hawaiian Organization: No


Beneficiaries
Is the activity directed at the library workforce: No
For a targeted group or for the general population: Targeted
Geographic community of the targeted group: Rural
For what age groups: 50-59 years
60-69 years
70+ years
For what economic types: Economic Not Applicable
For what ethnicity types: Ethnicity Not Applicable
Is the activity directed at families: No
Is the activity directed at intergenerational groups: No
Is the activity directed at immigrants/refugees: No
Is the activity directed at those with disabilities: No
Limited functional literacy or informational skills: No
Is the activity category not already captured: No


Locale
Is the activity state-wide: No
Specific Locations: Yes
Name: HALL MEMORIAL LIBRARY
Address: 93 MAIN STREET
City: ELLINGTON
State: CT
Zip: 06029
Project Outcomes
Project Outcomes
List any important findings or outcomes from your project:
Participants increased their skills in conducting and recording oral history interviews. Community members have access to a greater collection of information about their town’s history.
Please briefly describe importance of findings:
By training several interviewers, the library has built a sustainable program to capture oral histories and add them to the local history collection.
What methods did you use to determine your findings? Check all that apply:
Participant Observation
Based on outputs, outcomes and/or other results, explain any significant lessons learned from these findings for either the SLAA or others in the LIS field:

Do you anticipate continuing this project after the current reporting period ends:
Yes
Do you anticipate any change in level of effort:
Yes: Future interviews and transcription will be funded from the library's budget.
Do you anticipate any change in the project's scope:
No
Do you anticipate any other changes in the project:
No
Exemplary: No
Exemplary Narrative
Project Tags: Older adults, local history