The purpose of the St. Joseph Public Library Oral History Project is to record and preserve historical interviews from individuals who have experienced St. Joseph’s history firsthand.

How Do I Get Involved?

We want to hear from you! The St. Joseph Public Library is gathering personal accounts and experiences from St. Joseph’s history. Everyone’s history is important and helps us paint a picture of St. Joseph’s history through the generations. Whether you would like to submit your own oral history, or record a family or community member’s history, the St. Joseph Public Library would like to help you save it.

There are many ways to record your story whether it is on a voice recorder, computer, or smartphone. We also have Oral History Project Kits that you can check out! If you would like to share your history with the community, have questions, or would like more information, please email us at oralhistory@sjpl.lib.mo.us or share your story here.

We will only be accepting stories in the form of audio files. Mp3 files are preferred but we will accept .wma, .aac, and other comparable file types.

Please note that these interviews will be made public, so please do not include any sensitive information. If you would like to include your name and age, please do so. If you would like to remain anonymous, please let us know.