description StoryCorps Overview
StoryCorps is an American non-profit organization founded by David Isay in 2003 dedicated to recording, preserving, and sharing oral history interviews. Participants conduct 40-minute interviews with friends or family members in quiet recording environments, typically facilitated by a trained StoryCorps staff member. The resulting audio recordings are archived at the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress for historical preservation, with select interviews animated or broadcast nationally on public radio. The project provides everyday people with a platform to document their personal histories for future generations.
help StoryCorps FAQ
Who can record an interview with StoryCorps?
StoryCorps is designed primarily for ordinary people interviewing someone important to them rather than for celebrity interviews. Since its founding in 2003, participants have recorded conversations in booths, mobile locations, and through digital tools.
Where are StoryCorps interviews preserved?
With participant permission, recordings are archived at the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress. Selected, edited conversations are also shared through public radio, podcasts, and StoryCorps' online channels.
Is a StoryCorps recording the same as the short segment heard on NPR?
No. A full conversation is normally much longer, while the broadcast version is an edited excerpt built around a few memorable moments.
What questions should someone ask in a StoryCorps interview?
Personal prompts about childhood, family traditions, turning points, love, loss, and lessons learned tend to produce useful stories. StoryCorps also supplies question lists, but the interviewer can follow unexpected memories instead of reading a fixed script.
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