The Implications of Oral History for Librarians

ORAL HISTORY is no longer an experiment; it is a healthy movement. A group of historians, librarians, doctors, psychologists, and lawyers recently met at the Second Oral History Colloquium 1 to discuss techniques and philosophies and to found the Oral History Association.2 The papers and discussions at this meeting showed that, as a movement, oral history has significant implications for research librarians, especially those in academic libraries. Oral history is a record of recall. The record is authored by an individual who participated in, or observed at close range, events whose documentation will aid future researchers in understanding some facet of twentieth-century life. The oral author is aided in his recall by an interviewer versed both in the segment of life to be recorded and in appropriate