Tips Relating to Step 1 (Organize and Preserve Memorabilia into a Working Archive)
Tip #1
When looking for a waterproof box that is appropriate for memorabilia storage, Rubbermaid® containers made from polyethylene, polypropylene or polystyrene, which contain no plasticizers (softeners), are a good place to start. Containers made from these materials can be identified by the molded recycle symbols 2, 4, 5 and 6. Archivists avoid plastics like PVC (vinyl) because of the potential for acid migration. It should also be noted that gasses and water vapor can pass through the walls of plastic containers over time and, therefore, even a product with a very good lid seal can not completely exclude gasses or water vapor during years of storage. I have used Rubbermaid containers for many years, and have never had any problems. Light Impressions makes a great acid-free waterproof box. Check it out on their website (Search for item #7599).
Tip #2
I found the easiest way to get the history of my mother-in-law who is in her eighties
was to take my laptop computer, give her a question, and then type the reply as she said it. I just completed a wonderful history of her this way. I had
tried to get her to do it herself for many years and it did not work. Now
the history is 100 pages and published. Kathy,
Utah
Tips Relating to Step 2 (Involve Family and Friends)
Tip #1
My father passed away several years ago and I have started to write his life history. I found some of his old friends from High School by going to whitepages.com, a service provided by AT&T. You simply type in the person's name and state (if that is all you have) and their name, address and phone number will come up. I also discovered a high school classmate search program available on whitepages.com. I am hoping some of my Dad's other friends will write to me and I can learn even more about him. I have been able to find lots of different people by accessing this website. Happy Searching!! Denita Mortensen
Tips Relating to Step 3 (Use Oral History to Collect Life Stories)
Tip #1
A number of our relatives have led colorful lives and they are not
unwilling to share their experiences. However, my attempts to record
their stories have produced only the most mundane results. In several
cases, as soon as they were aware the tape recorder was on, their
stories became stilted and lack luster. They merely recited the details
without any of the embellishments that made the experiences so
interesting when they'd told them at other times.
The other pitfall was that when they realized they were being
recorded, some relatives tried to recount their experiences in language
other than their normal speech. They were trying to talk in the way
they supposed histories should be written. Again the results were
disappointing and the color and charm particular to them as individuals
was lost.
Two simple strategies have helped greatly with these challenges.
First, I bought a very small tape recorder made especially for voice
recording. Then, during visits and especially car trips, I could
inconspicuously turn on the recorder when the conversation naturally led
to the best reminiscing. I didn't hide the machine or the fact that we
wanted to talk about their experiences for a history, but there was no
formal interview. Second, I gathered my children around to hear the
stories that were going to be told. I turned on my tiny tape recorder
while Grandpa and Grandma whole-heartedly threw themselves into telling
their grandchildren of their adventures. With the young audience to
focus on, they forgot their usual history-related inhibitions. Using
these two methods resulted in a wealth of spontaneous, charming, and
priceless story telling, chock full of character. Brenda C., Provo, Utah
Tip #2
These interviews were the "life" of my project. If the subject of your history is living (or if you are your own subject) then I highly recommend recording a series of several oral history interviews. Because the stories, thoughts, opinions, and recollections are in the subject’s own words, everything transcribed from the tapes of these interviews is priceless to the history. It brings integrity to the history, because the subject’s true character can be shown.
Particularly helpful to
me were the "General Life Categories" on pages 3 and 9, the examples
of open-ended questions on pages 14 and 59-65, and learning to "enjoy the
silence" as discussed on page 15 of From
Shoeboxes to Books. My grandma has said several times that this format
really helped her organize her memories and made the interviews enjoyable for
her. Traci B., Provo, Utah
Tips Relating to Step 4 (Meet with the Printer or Publisher)
Tip #1
Get a couple of different initial bids from printers. They can vary a great deal. The Xerox DocuTech technology recommended in the book offered by this website, is available worldwide and has worked great for my publishing.
Tips Relating to Step 5 (Use Memory Triggers)
Tip #1
Take out your boxes of old clothes you can't seem to throw away. Write the story of why each is important to you. Take a photo of the clothing, put with the story and add to your personal history.
Tips Relating to Step 6 (Write the First Draft of your Personal History)
Tip #1
My cousin, who is a history major, was emphatic that I should carefully document when I was, and when I was not, using Grandma’s own words. It helped to be conscientious about this when I began adding information from written historical documents into the information from the oral history interviews. I put a note at the beginning of the history explaining that I would footnote everything taken from sources other than Grandma’s taped interviews or Grandma’s personal writings, and then all sources were listed in an appendix at the end. Traci B., Provo, Utah
Tips Relating to Step 7 (Add Memorabilia)
Tip #1
Many scanners can scan old items such as an old pocketwatch or a doll to give an image of the important things you have kept. Write up the story of each item, attach the scanned image and put in your personal history.
Tips Relating to Step 8 (Make Your Personal History User Friendly)
Tip #1
Having the history organized helps make it accessible to readers. My family loves having a detailed table of contents, which makes it easy for them to find the story or photograph they are looking for.
In organizing my grandmother’s history, I divided it into two parts. Part I was a chronological history, beginning with a few favorite stories of her ancestors, and continuing through her life to the present time. This was almost all in my grandmother’s own words. Part II was written by other family members, as suggested in pages 5-7 of From Shoeboxes to Books. "Part II" was a surprise to my grandma. I wrote a "disclaimer" in my introduction, explaining that Grandma hadn’t seen Part II before it was published, so readers would know that I (not her) solicited the tributes. Traci B., Provo, Utah