Minot-Sleeper Library partners with StoryCorps

BRISTOL — Minot-Sleeper Library, the historic public library in Bristol, has partnered with with StoryCorps, the nonprofit dedicated to recording, preserving, and sharing the stories of Americans of all backgrounds and beliefs. StoryCorps will provide training, professional recording equipment, and ongoing programmatic support to the Library, which will record conversations between area residents for inclusion in the StoryCorps archive at the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress. The recordings will also be accessible to the public (with participant permission) at Minot-Sleeper Library. New Hampshire Public Radio will edit and broadcast select stories recorded through the collaboration.

StoryCorps gives everyday Americans the chance to record interviews with loved ones about their lives. In these 40-minute conversations, participants, with the assistance of a facilitator, talk about whatever is most important to them. The recordings create a unique, first-person historical record for future generations. Since its founding by Dave Isay in 2003, StoryCorps has recorded over 600,000 Americans, making its archive the largest collection of human voices ever gathered.

Minot-Sleeper Library’s partnership with the organization extends its effort to preserve the history of the Newfound Region and celebrate the diversity of its community. This Spring, StoryCorps will train 10 Minot-Sleeper Library staff members and volunteers to facilitate interviews, which will take place May through August.

Jennifer Davis, library director, said, “This is an amazing opportunity for the community. We are hoping to highlight the diversity we have in our community, share stories on individuals while building bridges and alliances through our shared narratives. This is an exciting project!”

For more information, visit storycorps.org.

Join the library for a Virtual Orientation via Zoom or in person at the library, on May 10, 2022 at 5:30 p.m. Learn about a partnership between StoryCorps and Minot Sleeper Library. Listen to stories, meet StoryCorps staff, and find out how you can record your story this summer at the library.