Organizations/Memberships

Oral History Association

http://www.oralhistory.org

If you are an academic or in the non-profit sector and oral history is your focus there is no more valuable resource then OHA to keep abreast of what is happening in your field. Just by going to their website you have access to current trends, technology, education, resources, and on and on. Their listserv is a daily goldmine of ideas, problems, solutions and general news that insures that you keep current in your profession.

If you have any questions contact Madelyn Campbell, Executive Secretary at oha@dickinson.edu.

Association of Personal Historians (APH)

http://www.personalhistorians.org

The difference between an oral historian vs. a personal historian is simple. Oral historians, with few exceptions, work in non-profit settings, whereas personal historians pursue life stories, memories, videos, audio recordings, etc for individuals and organizations in a for-profit business.

From the Association of Personal Historians:
"The Association of Personal Historians, Inc. is a not-for-profit international trade association. The purpose of the Association is to advance the profession of helping individuals, organizations, and communities preserve their histories, memories, and life stories. APH focuses on providing educational, training, and networking opportunities to help professional personal historians, from beginners to advanced, build their personal history business."

As a member of APH for the last 4 years we can honestly say that we have never seen an organization comprised of for-profit firms that share so openly even though many members are direct competitors.

Market Research Association (MRA)

http://www.mra-net.org

One of our major niches in transcription for market research companies who produce interviews, focus groups, general marketing brainstorming sessions, etc.

As we do with major industries that we are involved with, we join organizations that provide networking , education and cutting-edge professional development.

This insures that we stay current with market research trends.

Baylor University Institute of Oral History - email buioh@baylor.edu

The site offers a potpourri of valuable information and guides for beginners as well as experienced oral historians. It's Oral History Workshop On The Web covers all aspects of planning and carrying out an oral history project. Included are tips for effective interviewing, guidelines for organizing a project, a style guide for transcribing and an extensive bibliography.

You can access the workshop by following the link to "workshop on the web" on the home page of the Institute for Oral History at http://www.baylor.edu/oral_history/