• Skip to main content
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Subscribe
  • Donate

WyoFile

Indepth News about Wyoming People, Places & Policy. Wyoming news.

  • Latest News
    • Education
    • Energy
    • Legislature
    • Native America
    • Natural Resources
    • People
    • Photo Friday
    • Places
    • Policy
  • Voices
    • Drake’s Take
    • Madden’s Measure
    • Guest Column
    • Studio Wyoming Review
  • Supporters
    • Membership
    • Underwriting
    • Foundations
  • COVID-19
  • Latest News
    • Education
    • Energy
    • Legislature
    • Native America
    • Natural Resources
    • People
    • Photo Friday
    • Places
    • Policy
  • Voices
    • Drake’s Take
    • Madden’s Measure
    • Guest Column
    • Studio Wyoming Review
  • Supporters
    • Membership
    • Underwriting
    • Foundations
  • COVID-19

Wyoming State Historical Society offers new oral history database

January 29, 2016 by WyoFile Staff Leave a Comment

Tweet
Share
Pin
Email
0 Shares
Print Friendly, PDF & Email

PRESS RELEASE — A new online database of Wyoming oral histories set to launch in Spring 2016. Researchers looking for oral history materials in Wyoming will have a brand new resource this spring when the Wyoming State Historical Society (WSHS) launches the Wyoming Oral History Online Database. The WOHO database will serve as a comprehensive, updatable listing of oral histories held in libraries, museums, private collections and other repositories in the state.

The database has been two years in the making.  In 2014 WSHS, a nonprofit membership driven educational organization, received a grant from the Wyoming State Historic Records Advisory Board (SHRAB) to survey the oral history holdings in Wyoming.  WSHS member and project director Barbara Bogart traveled the state to visit institutions most likely to house oral histories.  “After surveying 75 to 80% of the museums and libraries in Wyoming,” Bogart says, “I discovered that the oral history collections in the state are far richer than I expected.”  Bogart’s survey turned up approximately 2,500 oral histories, and she suspects there are many more to be located.

The goal of the project from the beginning was to create an online database for researchers to use. In 2015, a grant to the WSHS from the Wyoming Cultural Trust Fund made the development of the database possible.  Using the database will allow researchers to identify oral histories in their subject area and to discover where those records are housed.

“Having all the oral histories in a single database means each institution retains its own materials for researchers to use on-site,” explains Bogart.  “The database will help connect researchers with institutions, resulting in more visitors to Wyoming museums and libraries with oral histories.”

The accuracy of the database depends, of course, on the information provided by each institution. Beginning in March, museums, libraries and other repositories will receive a letter from Bogart with instructions on submitting their information to the database.  “We’re making the process as simple as we can,” Bogart explains.  Institutions that have computerized catalogs can simply export their data into an Excel spreadsheet.  For institutions that do not have digital records, staff members or volunteers can type information directly into the database template.  In some instances, smaller institutions with no staff and limited volunteer help may ask for assistance in gathering the necessary information about their oral histories to be included in the database.
For more information about the Wyoming Oral History Online Database, contact Barbara Bogart at [email protected] or 307-399-0806, or visit www.wyshs.org


Popular Articles:


Cody Wild West River Fest Short Film Festival seeks entries


Northern Red Desert driving and hiking tour set for June 18


Board of Ed seeks public input on science standards


Filed Under: The Pitch

About WyoFile Staff

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Want to join the discussion? Fantastic, here are the ground rules:
- Identify yourself with full name and city. WyoFile stands behind everything we publish and expects commenters to do the same.
- No personal attacks, profanity, discriminatory language or threats. Keep it clean, civil and on topic.

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter

Tweets by @WyoFile

Search WyoFile

Become an Underwriter
Sign Up for Free Weekly Newsletters

Recent Comments

  • Anne Brande on Wyo’s fight against clean energy drives young people away
  • Barbara Miller on Voter ID bill advances in Legislature
  • Bill Williams on Wind project doesn’t belong in Laramie Basin
  • Barbara Miller on Wyo’s fight against clean energy drives young people away
  • Jessica Newman on Wind project doesn’t belong in Laramie Basin

Footer

Recent Posts By Date

February 2021
M T W T F S S
1234567
891011121314
15161718192021
22232425262728
« Jan    

From The Archives

  • About Us
  • People
  • Careers
  • Freelancing
  • Underwriting
  • How to Republish
  • Subscribe
  • Contact Us

Copyright © 2021 by WyoFile