How to preserve your story for generations to come

Megan Raposa -

Simplified: The world's largest oral history project is making a stop in Sioux Falls this month to capture local stories that'll ultimately be preserved in the Library of Congress. Here's how you can be a part of it.

Tell me more

StoryCorps is a nonprofit committed to the idea that everyone has a story to tell, and this month they're in Sioux Falls in partnership with South Dakota Public Broadcasting through Aug. 7.

  • So far, StoryCorps has recorded more than 600,000 stories, and this summer they're touring the Midwest.

The hope is to capture as many everyday stories of people who live in Sioux Falls as possible.

"We're not looking for anything magnanimous," StoryCorps' Kiplyn Primus said. "We would love to have those little slices of life. We tell everyone, you have a story, and you never know who your story might help."

How does it work?

Anyone can sign up to participate in StoryCorps.

As part of the reporting for this piece, I chatted in a recorded conversation with Primus, in which we talked about the journalism industry, cool things in Sioux Falls and what StoryCorps hopes to accomplish this month. You can listen to that audio here.

The process is quite simple:

  • You sign up to participate – often with a partner, but you can also sign up alone.
  • You record a 40-minute conversation in the StoryCorps airstream camper parked outside the Washington Pavilion.
  • That conversation, with your consent, is saved as part of the StoryCorps archive in the Library of Congress' American Folklife Center.

That's particularly special for Lori Kent (you might know her as "Local Lou," a local podcaster and historian), who recorded a StoryCorps conversation with her mother about their experience during the coronavirus pandemic.

"My dream is that a great-great grandchild of my mom one day will be doing genealogy or possibly doing a 5th grade paper on Covid-19, and they’ll be able to reference that interview," Kent said.

How can I learn more?

You can learn more and sign up here to have your own StoryCorps experience.