How to Use this Site
Items: Items are the individual pieces that make up the archive. Items can be photographs, audio recordings of interviews, videos, journal entries, submitted stories, and more.
Collections: Collections are the umbrella categories where we sort items. We have four main collections.
Marion Public Library’s Story: where we have items discussing staff experiences and the impact on the library building.
Community Contributions: Where you can find videos, journal entries, photographs, stories, and more submitted by your neighbors.
Derecho Interviews: Oral Histories: Where the ten audio interviews with Marion community members will be housed along with their transcripts.
Exhibits: Exhibits are temporary showcases of items selected by library staff to tell a story.
How to Search: You are able to look through each record by clicking “Browse Items” and “Browse All”. To “Browse by Tag” means searching keywords associated with items and collections that the staff have created. For instance, you can search “library” and items that have been tagged as associated with the library will populate. You are also able to tailor your search by specific fields within “Search Items.” For instance, you are able to search by interviewer and interviewee.
How to Submit Your Materials and Story: Click "Contribute an Item" from the left pane. Choose the type of item you'd like to submit from the drop-down menu, choose the item you'd like to upload or type the story you'd like to submit, and fill out the appropriate text fields.
Resources for Conducting Your Own Oral Histories::
General overview of Oral Histories from the Smithsonian
Equipment and community interviews help