Oral History Program (OHP) 

The University of South Florida Libraries seek to become a world leader in the use of video, audio, and textual technologies to record, preserve, and present oral history interviews on topics that support library collections and advance knowledge for the research community.

As an urban metropolitan university, USF is committed to documenting the surrounding community in a meaningful way.  Florida has been described as a Bellwether State and its unprecedented growth in the 20^th century offers scholars an unparalleled opportunity to investigate pressing political, economic, social, and cultural issues.  The Program’s areas of emphasis explore complex international issues in a local context. The Oral History Program also supports the research of scholars, students, and the community through programming, workshops, and outreach.   

 The USF Libraries' Oral History Program creates and disseminates original interviews using state of the art digital technologies via the Internet.  Few libraries in the world produce and showcase their oral history materials with comparable access. These primary sources complement library collections, providing one-of-a-kind materials for scholars exploring a variety of local, national, and international issues. Through audio and transcripts provided on the Internet, patrons around the world can mine this rich resource to research the Program’s areas of emphasis: Urban Development and Sustainability; Holocaust, Genocide and Crimes Against Humanity; and Culture and Identity.

Urban Development and Sustainability – The allocation of non-renewable natural resources is a vital issue in the 21^st century.  These oral histories explore global urban and environmental issues within a Florida context.

Holocaust, Genocide and Crimes Against Humanity– In coordination with the USF Libraries Holocaust and Genocide Studies Center, these oral histories look to the past in order to understand the causes of mass violence, treat its affects on victims, and to help prevent future atrocities. 

Culture and Identity – Unprecedented global migration over the last century compels scholars to understand the roles of culture and identity within American society.  This collection provides scholars with rich primary source material relating to race, ethnicity and gender.