There are county fairs, state fairs, family reunions, and barbecues, all events where people with a connection of some kind gather. In the United States—which is very urbanized and where parks, yards, and public spaces can be few and far between—a neighborhood street will be blocked off by residents for what is called a block party. There is food, music, dance, and interactions among people; and the children, adults, parents, and local entrepreneurs and businesses come together to commune, share life stories, successes, and dreams while getting to know each other better and building a closer knit community.
Although it was chilly, the event was well attended and the local museums and historians symposium was outstanding. The block party was definitely a hands on example of the roundtable program “Oral History: Mobilizing Community Knowledge.” Another example was the poster session. Of particular interest was the presentation by the National Library and Archives of the United Arab Emirates. They provide archival boxes for families and individuals to collect photos, mementos, and documents, and ship to the National Library and Archives. There, the government then scans the records and returns them to the owner. The UAE is a nation of multicultural diversity both geographically and ethnically, with very few records or history archived that document the diversity and stories of their contemporary society.
Creating gatherings through block parties, exhibitions, and poster sessions is a great way to mobilize and collect oral history and knowledge within any community.
