- Vision Statement -
The University of South Florida Libraries are engaged in recording, preserving, and disseminating oral history interviews that reflect library collection initiatives, support the academic community, and emphasize the value of primary resources in instruction and research.
Florida has been described as a bellwether state, and its unprecedented growth in the 20th century offers scholars an unparalleled opportunity to investigate pressing political, economic, social, and cultural issues. The Oral History Program’s areas of emphasis explore complex international issues in a local context. The Program has also supported the research of scholars, students, and the community through programming, workshops, and outreach.
The USF Libraries Oral History Program records original interviews and provides free, open online access through our collections repository. Through our Oral History Program interface (OHPi) patrons can listen to the interview audio and read in sync with the transcript, which is also available for download. These primary sources complement library collections, providing qualitative research materials for scholars exploring a variety of local, national, and international issues. Patrons around the world can mine this rich resource to research the program’s key areas of emphasis: Environmental Studies and Sustainability, and Florida and local history.
Our Shared Environment and Natural History – Florida's unique environment provides a rich case study for diverse and declining habitats including coastline erosion, rapid land development, changing karst environments, and increasing ocean temperatures. The OHP has a growing collection of oral histories exploring global, urban, and environmental issues within a Florida context.
Community Stories of Tampa Bay History – The Tampa Bay area has experienced consistent growth over the past 100 years, bringing together cultures from around the world to form a distinct identity rich in industry, research, and culture. Whether a group is new to the area or has lived here for generations, whether they are brought together be a similar background or a shared interest, the OHP is interested in growing these collections to tell even more stories about who we are across the Bay area.