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Legacy Letter Template
You have a box of old letters, a stack of photographs, and a voice recorder that captured a birthday toast last year. When you open them, the dates…
Interview Transcription Cleanup Checklist
You sit at a kitchen table with a recorder, a notebook, and a cup of tea, ready to capture a family member’s story. The interview will run anywhere…
Verify Backups of Irreplaceable Family Files
You have scanned old family photos, recorded oral histories, and saved digitised letters onto a single external hard drive. Weeks later the drive fails, and the cloud account…
Use Silence in a Life Story Interview
You sit across from a parent who has just finished describing a childhood farm. The story pauses, and the room feels empty. In moments like this, the silence…
Use Old Photos as Memory Prompts
You open a dusty attic box, pull out a faded Polaroid of a birthday cake, and notice a cracked porcelain mug beside it. The objects sit on a…
Take Notes While Recording an Interview
You sit at the kitchen table with a handheld recorder, the faint hum of the refrigerator in the background, while your mother begins to describe the house she…
Run a Group Family History Interview
You have gathered three cousins around a kitchen table, a recorder set on the table, and a stack of old photographs. The goal is to capture each person’s…
Redirect a Family Member Who Goes Off Topic
During a family history interview, a grandparent may launch into a story about a childhood trip that bears no relation to the question about a wartime occupation. The…
10 Practical Ways to Move Past Your Troubles
Everyone faces problems, but you don’t have to let them dominate your mind. By changing where you direct your attention and how you respond to setbacks, you can…
Preserve Original and Edited Interview Files
You have just finished recording a conversation with an elderly relative about their childhood, and the file sits on a laptop alongside dozens of other media. The raw…
Prepare Before Interviewing a Parent About Their Life
You have set up a quiet room, placed a notebook and a voice recorder on the table, and invited your mother to share the story of her childhood.…
Plan a Life Story Interview Session
You arrive at the family home with a recorder, a notebook, and a clear intention to capture a life story. The kitchen table is set, the kettle is…