These historical records would have been very valuable to researchers today. Oral history offers one way in which some of this lost history can be recovered. Life History Program Goals Research, education and access are the Life History Program's primary concerns. Our goals are to collect materials for research, develop and conduct educational workshops, and provide public access to these materials. The Life History Program will be housed in the Museum's new Pavilion, scheduled to open in the January of 1999.
Life history is a compelling way to illustrate how history affected individual lives.
Many of our exhibitions and projects incorporate life history materials. Whether through video docu mentary or the Military Database, an interactive computer database of American veterans, these first-person accounts express an intimate history in a uniquely powerful way. Life History Workshops Education is a key component to the Life History Program. The Museum provides training classes in order to encourage the community to participate in historical documentation by engaging them in the techniques of oral history. We currently offer a thr ee-hour Introductory Workshop that covers the basics of conducting an interview.