Recording In-Person with the StoryCorps Mobile Tour

• Arrive 10 to 15 minutes before your scheduled interview time. Masks are required throughout your appointment.

• Bring a list of questions with you. If you need help, read our Great Questions.

• Bring a bottle of water for you and your interview partner. Water will not be provided by Facilitators.

• Markers will be placed to maintain social distancing.

• All surfaces, tables, and chairs will be disinfected by Facilitators between each recordings to maintain a clean and safe environment.

• If you are feeling ill or feel like you might have been exposed to Covid-19 or its variants, please do not go to your appointment. Contact the Mobile Team and see our section on using StoryCorps Virtual!

• About two weeks before your appointment, a member of our team will confirm that appointment with you over the phone and share location details of where you will record, as well as some logistical information about the recording process.

• You will receive a confirmation email with your appointment date, time, and recording location.

  1. • Depending on the recording location, your facilitator may send you a parking pass, which you may need to print out and bring with you on your recording day.

• The night before your recording, you will receive an email from your facilitator with a link to fill out your "Data Sheet Form" online. When filling this out, keep in mind the following:

  1. The name you fill out on your Data Sheet Form will be the one under which your interview is archived at the StoryCorps Archive and The American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress if you choose to release your interview after your recording. You may opt to go by a nickname or a pseudonym.

  2. Make sure you include your email address! Access to your StoryCorps recording will be sent to the email address you include on your Data Sheet Form.

  3. Demographic questions on the form are used for StoryCorps internal purposes. These fields are optional, but you are encouraged to address as many questions as you feel comfortable answering.

  4. Each individual speaking in your recording needs to fill out an individual data sheet.

A StoryCorps interview is 40 minutes of uninterrupted time for meaningful conversation with a friend or loved one. What are the questions you want to ask and the memories you want to preserve? No matter how well you know your storyteller, a little preparation will improve the quality of your interview enormously.

1. WELCOME

(2 minutes): The Facilitator will provide some background information about StoryCorps, explain their role in the interview process, and answer any questions you might have.

2. PREP

(8 minutes): The Facilitator will walk you through our "Acknowledgement of Risk Form" related to the Covid-19 pandemic and ensure that your "Data Sheet Forms" have been properly submitted.

3. SOUND CHECK

(5 minutes): Once you and your interview partner are ready to proceed, the Facilitator will make sure you are positioned well for recording and check the audio levels.

4. INTERVIEW

(40 minutes): Use your prepared question list, but remember they are just suggestions to get you started. Trust your instincts. When you hear something that moves you, ask more questions. Sometimes your storyteller will need “permission” to explore a certain topic; you can simply say “Tell me more.” Feel free to ask questions in whatever order feels right, and don’t let them constrain the conversation. Real moments are the best moments.

Some tips for helping the conversation flow:

• Look at your conversation partner's eyes, not the microphone or facilitator. Stay interested and engaged.

• Be yourself; you can laugh or even cry with your conversation partner.

• Emotional questions like “how does this make you feel?” often elicit thoughtful responses. Don’t be afraid to ask.

• Be curious and honest and keep an open heart. Great things will happen.

While you and your partner are talking, the Facilitator will take notes, keep time, and monitor audio. Facilitators are not interviewers, though they may ask a question during the recording.

5. RELEASE OPTIONS

(4 minutes): Our facilitator will explain the release form, which allows StoryCorps to keep one copy of your recording and send another to the archive at the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress. After your recording has been archived, StoryCorps will send you a digital copy of the interview for download.

6. PHOTOS

(6 minutes): Finally, the Facilitator will take photos of you and your interview partner, both together and separately. These photos will be included in the archive at the American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress.

In about 4-6 weeks you will receive an email addressed from the “StoryCorps Archive.” The title of the email will read “Your StoryCorps Interview is Ready.” When you open the email and scroll down you will see a blue button that says “Claim Your Interview” with your interview ID# next to it. From there, you will follow instructions on how to make a profile on our Online Archive. Within seconds, you’ll be able to hear your recording!