Democracy. Literacy. Authority. Community: The Queenstown Oral History Pilot

Abstract

In alignment with UMD Libraries strategic goal of advancing the principles of democracy and equitable participation, Curator of MD & Historical Collections Joni Floyd and Abe & Irene Pollin Graduate Assistant Jada Yolich have launched the first leg of their community driven archives pilot program: the train-the-community interviewer oral history workshop series. Designed to equip community members with the knowledge and tools to conduct, organize, and utilize oral histories, these workshops build proficiencies in work typically carried out by institutional library specialists and provide a framework for how communities can assert meaningful control over their historical materials.

In this presentation, Floyd and Yolich share their overall framework and discuss how the institutional positioning of those who design and deliver these types of instructional workshops—particularly in the context of oral histories—intentionally and unintentionally shape archival and information literacy outcomes. They also discuss how the entire process expands and recalibrates the notion of a community of practice.