Traditionally, students wrote lengthy, research-laden term papers. Nowadays students are designing and presenting multi-modal projects using the latest technologies. They are still doing the research but creating videos and podcasts as final projects instead of term papers. Many classes now require students to interview people, classmates or others in the community, for their project. This interview format serves as a perfect opportunity to blend Library Instruction sessions with Outreach provided by Oral Historians from Special Collections. Using my expertise in instructional design and her expertise in oral history we designed a library instruction session centered on two ACRL Frameworks: Information Creation as Process and Scholarship as Conversation. Students are frequently subjected to interviews in the media but do they know how to create a “good” interview? Do they know how to draft appropriate open-ended questions? By researching, interviewing, and using the triangulation process students will develop the skills to recognize as well as to create good oral histories. They will be able to identify their role with collective memory as well as their agency as scholarly contributor instead of just consumer.
