Like "songcatchers" who recorded folksongs to preserve a fading musical legacy, a "historycatcher" seeks to record the past before it fades from living memory.

Historycatcher Personal History Services are offered by Scott Searches both to preserve individual life stories and personal recollections, and to enhance traditional historical research.

ORAL HISTORY

I offer professional quality digital audio interview recordings. I can interview an immediate family member to record their life story for future generations, or I can interview pertinent persons as part of an ongoing traditional research project. With many years of experience as a legal investigator combined with historical training, I can offer a unique set of interviewing skills.

Oral history is often the best way to illuminate the obscure details of local and family history. For a traditional research project, it's often more productive to identify and interview local persons and older living relations before embarking on extensive research in written records. Oral history is also an excellent way to record family legends and traditions, which can then be researched or verified in traditional written source material.

The cost to conduct, record, and transcribe an interview is all inclusive, and quoted based on the recording time, and any mileage expense to the interview site. I interview the person, edit and prepare a professional quality, track separated CD or DVD (client's choice) of the recorded interview, presented in jewel case, and provide a verbatim transcript of the interview.

This is certainly the most economical way (compared to video) to record a family member's living memories, have a trained personal historian conduct the session, and present the result in a professionally produced package.

WRITING & EDITORIAL SERVICES

I can also provide consulting, editorial, or writing services for those clients who desire to use family members' interviews as a basis for a life history or personal biography book.

I also offer historical research to verify or compliment an interview, or a manuscript draft. These services are available for an hourly rate, or a per project flat fee, depending on the scope and nature of the task, and the client's needs.

If you have a manuscript and need help turning it into a completed print or e-book, I can help you through Historycatcher Press.