StoryCorps

FOR THE LOVE OF READING AND LIBRARIES: Stories of the Pueblo City-County Library District.

ABOUT THE PROJECT
As part of the Institute of Museum and Library Service National Medal program, StoryCorps is planning to record, preserve, and share the stories and experiences of individuals that have been positively impacted by the library and the joy of reading in order to encourage other library fans to financially support the library. StoryCorps is planning a visit to Colorado to record conversations with people who have been impacted by the library and have a love of reading.
If selected, your conversation will be recorded at:
Rawlings Library, 100 E. Abriendo Ave.,
Pueblo, CO 81004, from Sept. 14-16.
We will work with you to get a time and date scheduled within the above dates.
For questions, contact midori.clark@pueblolibrary.org or (719) 562-5605.

StoryCorps is planning a visit to Colorado to record conversations with
people who have been impacted by the library and have a love of reading.

Through recording, sharing, and preserving these stories, we hope to:

  • Raise awareness around the critical support libraries provide
  • Honor participants by preserving their stories as part of our national history
  • Promote library’s mission with the hope that supporters will understand the impact of libraries and chose to support the library financially

The StoryCorps recording model consists of two people who know each other having an intimate 40-minute conversation, so we ask that when someone signs up for an interview, they invite a friend, family member, or colleague to join them. A trained StoryCorps facilitator will sit in the room during the conversation. With permission, the recording is archived at the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress.

ABOUT STORYCORPS RECORDINGS

Participants are the “interviewers”
The best StoryCorps conversations take place between two people who know each other well. The relationship between the participants can greatly increase the quality of their experience. While the facilitator in the room may ask a couple follow-up questions, the participants are primarily the ones guiding the conversation and asking questions of each other.

Stories are the goal
The recording is an opportunity for participants to tell stories from their personal experiences and describe vivid memories or reflections—not simply dates, places, and chronologies. We like to encourage participants to, “Paint us a picture in words.”

Conversations can be recorded in any language
Participants can record their story in any language they prefer. Many of our facilitators are fluent in Spanish, so we welcome Spanish-speaking participants to share their stories

Participants decide whether or not to archive their recording
In order to have their recording archived at the Library of Congress and given to partner organizations, participants must sign our release form. The choice to sign the form is entirely up to the participant.

The conversations are not scripted
StoryCorps conversations are not meant to be rehearsed or read from notes. We encourage participants to bring along questions for their partner, while leaving room for follow-up questions and flexibility during interviews. We will provide a list of questions that participants can customize for their recording.

Very few recordings air on NPR
Each participant pair receives a recording of their conversation. With permission from participants, all recordings are archived with StoryCorps for preservation, however less than 1 percent of StoryCorps interviews are edited for broadcast on NPR.

HOW TO ENTER

Fill out the information below or return a PRINTED COPY to any library location or mail to:
Rawlings Library, Attn:  Midori Clark, 100 E. Abriendo Ave., Pueblo, CO 81004.
Entry deadline is Friday, Aug. 31 by 5 p.m. Conversations selected to be recorded will be notified by Sept.