Recording your life story is really amazingly easy

Who

There are a number of options for recording your story. You can choose to bring someone you know to interview (a grandmother, for example), or you can bring someone to interview you! Another popular option is to come by yourself and have one of our university-trained interviewers help guide you in telling about your personal history. 

When

You can schedule a time for an interview to record your story or interview a friend of relative either by calling our office (801) 585-6223. To begin, you will want to sign up for a one-hour slot--two hours at the most.

To schedule a recording session for cancer patients and their families at the Huntsman Cancer Institute, please call (801) 581-6365.

What

After you make your reservation, just click on our memory triggers page for some suggestions of the kinds of questions we've found helpful to spark memories and elicit the best, most memorable life stories. Don't think you have to have answers to all these questions--no one could! Some questions will trigger memories for one person and yet have no particular relevance for another. Just select a few of these topics or make a list of your own “possible interview questions.” We think you’ll find this pre-interview process an interesting way to begin thinking about a lifetime of experiences.

You may also find it helpful to look through family photo albums, since pictures are such a good way to remind us of important people, places and past events.

 

Where

YourStory: Record and Remember is located inside the Chase Home Museum of Folk Art in Liberty Park, in Salt Lake City. There is ample free parking available near the museum. When you call to make an appointment, we'll give you specific directions.

At Huntsman Cancer Institute, our studio is located just inside the front doors, next to the Learning Center. Parking is available right in front of the HCI building and is absolutely free.

How

Once you arrive at our studio, one of our university-trained interviewers will guide you throughout the interview process, taking care of making the digital recording of your personal history.

At the end of our session, you’ll take away a professional-quality CD ready to share with friends and relatives. If you’d like to preserve your life story more permanently you can choose to have it added to the YourStory archive in the special collections of the J. Willard Marriott Library at the University of Utah.

How Much

Each life story recording session costs $10 per hour and includes a copy of the finished CD. Our actual recording costs average close to $100 per hour, but thanks to the generosity of our donors we are able to make this service available to everyone.

Thanks to the generosity of HCI, the first two hours of recording for cancer patients and their families is free and there is a nominal charge for additional recordings.

What Next

If you'd like to find out about how to have your CD transcribed and edited into a book, just ask for more information when you come to the YourStory studio or give us a call. These printed versions of your life story make wonderful Christmas, birthday and anniversary gifts. We can also tell you how to make copies of the CDs for your entire family.

Why

Because your family, your friends and YOU deserve to keep these memories alive forever.