Friedlander, Russell provide update on oral history project
Friend of the Pine Island Library and Library Board director Jim Friedlander and his colleague Steve Russell recently brought interested library patrons up to date on their work to preserve the history of Pine Island through oral histories of long-time residents.
Their project has been underway for more than a year and just days before the meeting they traveled to the University of Florida in Gainesville for training in its Oral History Program.
Oral history is a form of public history that makes history accessible to a broad audience and connects scholars and departments of history to their local communities.
Friedlander and Russell plan to record interviews of long-time Pine Island residents on the topic of the local fishing industry. They will begin with a set of questions to start the interview but expect many subjects to tell stories in their own way, sometimes incorporating photos/mementos in their homes. These recordings will be first-person stories and often include those of spouses as well.
If you are someone who was involved in commercial fishing before the net ban, or know someone who was and might be interested in participating, please contact Friedlander at 860-608-1158
The University of Florida will keep up with technology changes and make the interviews available in the Cloud via YouTube. The Pine Island Library offers a number of computers that will be able to access these histories. In addition, there are a number of oral history books available either in print or e-copy through the library system. They cover a wide variety of topics and interests including the classic Studs Terkel books (e.g., The Good War, Hard Times and Working) which are available on Hoopla. Garrett Graff’s outstanding books on 9/11 and on D-Day are available in both hard and e-copy.
The Pine Island Library is open Tuesday through Thursday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., and Friday and Saturday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Please to https://www.leegov.com/library/branches/pi for more information of services available or stop by at 10701 Russell Road in Bokeelia (just north of the Center). The library staff is always welcoming and eager to help.