In May 2005, two StoryCorps MobileBooths left the Library of Congress to travel across the United States—one taking an Eastern route and the other covering the Western states. This inaugural tour stopped at 34 cities, and visits lasted two and three weeks, with about 100 interviews collected at each location.
The MobileBooth returned to the Library earlier this month, 11 years after it began its journey, for a five-week stay, where it will record oral histories of residents from the Washington, D.C. area. An Airstream trailer outfitted with a recording studio, the booth is at the Library through May 18. Reservations for interviews are required and can be made by calling 1-800-850-4406 or online at storycorps.org.
The brainchild of MacArthur Fellow Dave Isay, StoryCorps was launched in 2003 as a national initiative to instruct and inspire individuals to record oral histories and create meaningful personal experiences for the participants. The Library’s American Folklife Center (AFC) serves as the permanent home for those recordings.