Local history group hopes to preserve Valley memories

The society is setting up interviews with local people with ay eye toward preserving memories of Hopewell Valley and how events have influenced people’s lives.

   The newly formed Oral History Committee of the Hopewell Valley Historical Society held its first meeting and workshop recently.
   Members of the society who had expressed interest in participating in an interview process attended the workshop. The society is in the process of setting up interviews with local people. In so doing, it hopes to preserve memories of Hopewell Valley and how events have influenced people’s lives. The interviews will be transcribed and eventually made available through the Collections Committee.
   The workshop speaker was Howard L. Green, research director of the New Jersey Historical Commission and former president of the National Oral History Association.
   Mr. Green spoke about the proper way to set up an oral history project and the many decisions that should be made before actually beginning to interview. He then described preparing for an interview and the interview itself. He followed this by describing ways to transcribe and document, preserve and make available the final product.
   Questions or comments are welcome. Call Noel Goeke at 466-1279.