ABSTRACT
A strong, long-term relationship between the university and the community is always a win-win. Such relationships take time, patience, persistence, and compromise, and it is always worth the effort. Oral history, also known as the people's history, is a great step towards cultivating these long-term relationships. An advisory committee composed of stakeholders from the community and university can be useful in designing the project, recruiting narrators with interesting stories, cultivating financial donors, fundraising, and helping plan and execute special events. Advisors are selected for their inside knowledge and networks for the project. Work with the community becomes a personal relationship for any university staff member or student. Finding individuals to serve on the advisory board both at the university and in the community can be challenging but it also gives the directors of the oral history project a great opportunity to get to know their community better.
