I am hoping that members of the New York History
List Serv can help me with two projects I have undertaken as Historian for the
Town of Montgomery in Orange County.
1) I have received a grant to purchase
equipment for an oral history project. The original grant application was
written by my predecessor and was based on purchashing desktop recorders and
transcription machines - all of which were far more expensive than what is on
the market today. When I came before the Town Board for a resolution in
support of this grant, they were very interested in the project but asked me to
look at purchasing a videocamera as well for this project. Fortunately,
the grant will accommodate such an expense.
I'm interested to hear from anyone who manages/has
managed oral history projects - particularly with students - about what kind of
equipment you would recommend. I'd like to spend this money
wisely!
2) The Historian for the Village of Montgomery and
I are embarking on an Underground Railroad History research project to determine
what, if any, role residents of our area played in this very important part of
our history. I am new to this field of research and would appreciate ANY
guidance anyone can provide about resources.
Thanks in advance for your assistance.
Suzanne Isaksen
Historian, Town of Montgomery
Historian, Village of
Walden