Using Oral History to Strengthen Your Family History Research

Interviewing relatives can be an important step in researching your family history. Alea Stokes from the BPL’s Community History Department will be joining us as we explore how oral histories can help family research, go over some best practices, and provide an overview of how the Community History Department can help you. 

The BPL Community History Department supports individuals, community groups, and local organizations in their efforts to document stories about themselves and their communities. We believe that individuals live and make history every day, and that these stories matter. We are committed to supporting the telling of these stories, in all their richness, complexity, and diversity. We are guided by our commitment to collaboration, inclusion, equity, justice, and repair. 

Jessy Wheeler has been the Genealogy Specialist for the Boston Public Library since 2018. She teaching online classes on a variety of topics relating to genealogy and coordinates guest speaker lectures for the Central Library in Copley square.

Alea Stokes is the Programs and Outreach Librarian in BPL’s Community History Department. She plans oral history workshops, memoir writing classes, and other programs to highlight patron's stories and history.

Skill level: Beginner/Intermediate

This program will be recorded.

Please note that registration is required for this event as it is taking place over Zoom.

Accessibility Notice: We strive to make our events accessible. To request a disability accommodation and/or language services, please contact: Jessy Wheeler at jwheeler@bpl.org. Please allow at least two weeks to arrange for accommodations.

Programming at the Boston Public Library is funded through private support. To learn more about supporting the Library, please visit the Boston Public Library Fund's website (https://bplfund.org/).