The Brick Store Museum, which illustrates local history and art at the center of Kennebunk, is launching an oral history training workshop on Saturday, May 31, running from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

“We all know someone whose story needs recording – and the museum aims to collect as many local stories as possible by recruiting and training an oral history interview team to assist in collecting the histories of people who live here,” said Cynthia Walker, executive director of the museum, in an email. “This workshop will help anyone interested in documenting personal histories.”

Participants can register in advance at www.brickstoremuseum.org/calendar. The registration fee of $10 covers materials costs, with snacks included.

The workshop is designed to introduce potential oral history practitioners to the fundamentals of conducting a life-course oral history. Participants will learn how to identify interviewees, conduct pre-interview research, and prepare for meaningful and professional oral histories. The session will cover best practices for conducting oral history interviews and ensuring the ethical and responsible documentation of personal narratives.

Throughout the workshop, participants will explore key interviewing techniques, including how to create a comfortable environment, ask open-ended questions, and engage narrators in sharing rich and detailed accounts of their experiences. Practical aspects of recording best practices will also be addressed, with guidance on selecting equipment, recording remotely or in person, and organizing recorded materials for preservation and access.

Legal and ethical considerations will be discussed in-depth, including issues of privacy, copyright, and the responsibilities of oral historians in handling sensitive content. Participants will receive samples of necessary forms and documents to facilitate their own oral history projects. By the end of the session, attendees will have the foundational knowledge and confidence to conduct oral history interviews within their communities independently.

The workshop will be taught by Molly Graham, a professional oral historian and radio documentarian. She trained at the Salt Institute for Documentary Studies in Portland. She has her master’s degree in library science and archives management from Simmons College.

Graham is the former director of the oral history program at the Wisconsin Veterans Museum and assistant director of the Rutgers Oral History Archives. She is the co-founder of Oral History and Folklife Research, Inc., with the mission of preserving the stories, voices, and cultural traditions of Maine and beyond. Currently, she is the oral historian for NOAA’s Voices Oral History Archives, where she collects, preserves and curates oral histories documenting historical environmental change and its impacts on fisheries, oceans and coasts.