Latest Articles
How to Create a Memory Book for a Family Member
A memory book is not the same as a scrapbook, though it may contain some of the same materials. A memory book is a structured document — part…
Documenting Family Recipes as Part of a Life Story
A recipe box is more than a collection of instructions for making food. It is a record of a life — of the occasions people cooked for, the…
How to Transcribe an Oral History Recording
Transcribing an oral history recording is slow, careful work. For every hour of recorded audio, expect to spend three to five hours producing a clean transcript. Many people…
Reconstructing a Life Story When the Person Has Already Died
One of the most common reasons people give for not starting a family history project is that the key person — a grandparent, an elderly parent, the keeper…
What to Include in a Legacy Document
A legacy document is a written record intended to outlast its author — a deliberate act of transmission from one generation to the next. Unlike a diary or…
Recording the Relationships That Shaped a Life
Most life story projects focus on the person whose story is being recorded. But a life is never lived in isolation. Behind every individual account is a web…
How to Store a Family Archive So It Lasts
A life story is not finished when the last word is written. It needs to be stored in a way that makes it accessible to the people who…
Sharing Family History With Children at Any Age
Children who grow up knowing their family’s stories are better equipped to understand who they are and where they come from. Research in family psychology has consistently found…
How to Use a Family Gathering to Record Oral Histories
School reunions, milestone anniversaries, significant birthdays — there are moments in life when people naturally reflect on the distance they have travelled. These occasions can also be powerful…
Recording Ordinary Life: Why Everyday Details Are Worth Preserving
Most people, when they think about recording a life story, think about the big events: births, marriages, moves, losses. But the stories that listeners and readers often find…
Recording the Places That Gave Your Family Its Shape
Every family has a geography — a set of places that gave its members their first ideas about what the world looks like and how people behave inside…