Creating and Preserving Oral Histories at North Dakota State Archives

The North Dakota State Archives joins archives across the country in celebrating American Archives Month in October. American Archives Month focuses on the importance of records of enduring value and recognizes people and programs responsible for maintaining our communities’ vital historical records.

“We are excited to promote, honor, and celebrate the work archivists perform while preserving the traditions, memories, and stories as memory keepers of the state’s history,” said Shane Molander, state archivist.

In addition to the blog posts Archives staff will be penning throughout the month, free public programs will be held at the North Dakota Heritage Center & State Museum in Bismarck.

• Little Kids, Big World: Genealogy With the State Archives. Explore genealogy-the history of your family Saturday, Oct. 10, at 10:15 a.m., and Monday, Oct. 12, at 10 a.m. Think about your family members, and chart how you are related on your own family tree.
• Creating and Preserving Oral Histories. Do you have the desire to create audio or video interviews with your family and friends? Learn how to plan and conduct an oral history, as well as how to curate your audio and video files to store them for the future. Head of Reference Services Sarah Walker will walk you through the planning and action portion. Audiovisual Archivist Greta Beck will discuss the finer points of working with and preserving these files. Two sessions will be offered: Wednesday, Oct. 14, and Friday, Oct. 23, from 2 to 3:30 p.m. Space is limited; sign up early at CreatingAndPreservingOralHistoriesSHSND.eventbrite.com.
• Prairie Public’s “Dakota Datebook.” Check out history stories featuring content from the State Archives at bit.ly/datebook-archives-month.

The State Archives, located inside the ND Heritage Center & State Museum in Bismarck, is responsible for acquiring, preserving, and referencing the documentary holdings of the State Historical Society of North Dakota. It is open from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, and the second Saturday of each month, from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The ND Heritage Center & State Museum is open Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., and from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. For more information, visit history.nd.gov/archives or call 701.328.2091. Find additional upcoming events at statemuseum.nd.gov/events.