Reading about all the ways we share stories got me thinking about what stories are being shared and who shares them, especially in the library. As a library worker, I think a lot about my role in story sharing. I do not find it is my place to share stories that are not mine; however, it is my job to platform other peoples’ stories. Stories take on many forms and can be shared many ways, and it is up to the library to learn how to do stories justice.
Technology provides I was inspired by the StoryCorps partnership with public libraries. This partnership provides libraries with digital tools to create recordings to upload and share as well as trainings for librarians to learn how to effectively help people develop and tell their stories. Having a resource like this can be helpful for reaching people who do not come into the library. In Minnesota where I live, many public libraries offer access to a tool called MN Writes MN Reads. This is an ebook creation and reading tool where Minnesota residents can write and publish ebooks. If a person is looking for something written by a local author, this is a useful resource for them as well. Technologies like these help keep people connected with stories, even if they cannot physically get to the library to share or listen.
As a closing thought, I will share how my library has partnered with a community member to help share her story.. At my library, a local high school Chinese teacher reached out an asked if she could share some artwork she had acquired from her grandparents who were born in China. This gave her her an opportunity to share more about herself, her grandparents, and Chinese culture while also allowing the library staff to be a platform for a story that none of us could have shared otherwise. This also raises the point that stories are not always verbal and can be told through various mediums; in this case, it was artwork. Stories take on all forms and the modern hyperlinked library provides a space for those stories to be shared and consumed.
Reference
Eberhart, G. M. (2018, February 10). Sharing people’s stories: StoryCorps partners with public libraries. American Libraries. https://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/blogs/the-scoop/sharing-peoples-stories/
Hi Lindsay! For my innovation roadmap I was looking into the Memory Lab programs that helps people to digitize and preserve their family media, and I was thinking about incorporating an oral history component that allows people to record their personal stories. These StoryCorps interviews seem really similar to what I was envisioning!