Davidson Stories: Oral Histories and Interviews

Oral Histories and Interviews

The Oral History Association (OHA) defines oral history as “a method of recording and preserving oral testimony and the product of that process. It begins with an audio or video recording of a first person account made by an interviewer with an interviewee (also referred to as narrator), both of whom have the conscious intention of creating a permanent record to contribute to an understanding of the past.”

Oral histories are distinct from interviews in that oral histories focus on lengthy testimonies about the past rather than purely contemporary experiences. The form also emphasizes the "narrator as expert." In an oral history interview, you are asking questions to further the interviewee's personal realizations about a subject rather than accumulating information you deem relevant.

Archives and Special Collections has many oral histories and interviews in its collection. This guide showcases some of these sound and moving image materials, as well as archival and library resources related to oral history best practices. 

Sound and moving image materials are media including record albums, audiocassettes, videocassettes, music cds, cd-roms, and dvds. A portion of this collection consists of oral history tapes and digital recordings related to college and town history, including the Ada Jenkins Center, Davidson Fire Department, West Davidson, the development of town, former college staff and faculty, and alumni.

This guide is organized as follows:

• Oral History Collections
• Oral History Projects
• Oral History Practices
• Additional Resources

If you are interested in accessing these oral histories or conducting an oral history project on local or college subjects, please email archives@davidson.edu for assistance.