The American Association of School Librarians (AASL) is partnering with StoryCorps to launch StoryCorps Connect. The new free platform allows Americans to conduct and record StoryCorps interviews remotely.
AASL encourages school librarians to utilize the technology to support learners in connecting with others amidst the COVID-19 pandemic and, in the process, to contribute to the creation of a unique first-person historical record of this unprecedented crisis.
“We at AASL are thrilled to partner with StoryCorps,” said AASL President Mary Keeling. “This platform empowers our learners to reach out to family members to record first-person narratives about the pandemic. As they inquire into the life experiences of their loved ones, they will be curating primary source material that will be invaluable for researchers in the future. School librarians can also use this platform to interview educators and fellow librarians about how we adjusted our practices to transform learning while schools have been shut down.”
StoryCorps Connect is a public service platform to bring people together amidst a global public health crisis. StoryCorps Connect uses advanced online videoconferencing technology and wraparound instructional tools to give participants a free, high-quality platform to record StoryCorps conversations remotely. The organization began developing StoryCorps Connect in March in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, motivated by the belief that at this time of physical separation, StoryCorps can provide a critical public service to increase connection to others and reduce the impact of isolation.
Dave Isay, Founder and President of StoryCorps, said, “Social distancing is the exact opposite of the StoryCorps ethos, which strives to bring people together and acknowledge and celebrate our common humanity. At this time of physical separation, the StoryCorps interview methodology is a more essential tool than ever before for bringing us together.”
Read the Complete Announcement
See Also: How to Use StoryCorps Connect as a School Librarian (Webinar Recording)
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