Our community is a diverse one--sometimes in ways we see, and sometimes in ways we do not. As researchers and historians, we are painfully aware that the stories that get told about our community in newspapers, magazines, or books are too often selected serving specific reasons for specific audiences; there are just as many meaningful stories that get left on the cutting room floor, or often were never listened to in the first place.
One of the ways AADL is seeking to remedy this abridgment of our local history is via the Call for Stories project. We periodically introduce a new call for stories on a specific topic to help augment the records handed down to us. This is a chance to share your stories to help us create a document of our community for the researchers and historians of the future. If you wish, you can leave your name and email address, or you can submit anonymously. The more stories we collect, the more complete the picture of our time in this community will be for those who come after us.
AADL has put out the following Calls for Stories:
Frequently Asked Questions
How can I submit to the Call for Stories?
Select any of the Call for Stories projects for full information on how to submit via email, online form, or telephone.
What types of submissions are you looking for?
We want you to tell your story the way you tell it. Written pieces of 20 words or 20,000 words. One photo or 100 photos. Voice recordings or videos of your stories. Whatever you want to document in whatever way you feel most comfortable. Pretty much any kind of file you create with your computer or phone can be uploaded via the online form or attached to an email to us.
How many times can I submit?
As many times as you would like; the more we can collect, the more complete a picture we will be able to paint for future researchers. Multiple submissions are encouraged.
Can I submit anonymously?
Yes. We are looking to collect as much material as we can, and if you would rather not have your name attached, that is fine with us. Obviously the more information we have connected to your submission, the more value it will have for researchers in the future, but anonymous material is always better than no material.
Are you going to publish this anywhere?
This project is not for the public of today, it is for the researchers and historians of the future. While it is important to share these stories today, the best way for you to do that is via your own relationships and social media. AADL urges you to do so.