Centennial Celebration

Library to kick off Centennial Celebration with a visit from
WSIU’s StoryCorps

The Benton Public Library District is currently gearing up to commemorate its long-awaited Centennial Anniversary. To mark the occasion, the library will kick off a year-long observance with a Community Day Celebration at the Benton Public Library on Saturday, May 21, 2016, from 10:00 am – 2:00 pm.

As part of the festivities, the library committee is excited to have WSIU Radio participating in this event. WSIU invites the public to take part in “The Listening Project,” the radio station’s local version of the nationally acclaimed StoryCorps. WSIU’s Kevin Boucher will set up a portable recording booth to record one-on-one interviews between two volunteers or between an individual and the radio facilitator. Participants will have the opportunity to record a personal recollection; a historical remembrance pertaining to Benton, Franklin County or the Benton Library; or they may talk about a subject of their choosing. Some of the recorded sessions may be featured in a WSIU radio broadcast, and it’s also possible that recordings will be documented in the national StoryCorps archive.

Recording sessions typically consist of a 5-minute prep/warm-up, 10 minutes of recording, and a 5-minute wrap-up. Volunteers usually receive a CD of the project. Sessions are scheduled at 15- to 20-minute intervals, allowing three or four interviews to be recorded per hour. The process will run more smoothly if participants decide ahead of time which topic they’d like to discuss and make a few notes on some points they wish to cover.

Those interested in participating may sign up by calling Becky Lewis at 618-435-7902. Slots are limited to 15-20 sessions, so please do not delay in contacting Mrs. Lewis.