So You Want Your Oral Histories Used? Bridging the Gap Between Oral Histories, Librarians, and Patrons

Abstract

Practicing oral historians understand that it is not only necessary to collect the first-hand accounts and recollections of individuals, and make them accessible in an appropriate repository, but to also have these primary resources used. The purpose of this study was primarily to determine the familiarity and/or use of oral histories as a reference source by librarians. A secondary inquiry within this study was to learn where and how librarians learn about new and/or old reference sources and how they want new resources marketed to them, so that they may incorporate them into their arsenal of resources.