What is oral history?

Oral history is the collection, study, and preservation of history through first-person narratives. Oral history is both the oldest type of historical inquiry, predating the written word, and one of the most modern, initiated with tape recorders in the 1940s and now using 21st-century digital technologies.

We believe that you are not only a powerful storyteller, but also an important agent in creating history.

How is Story Roots different from sites like Ancestry?

On Ancestry, you research your family generations through documentation. It’s a tool for finding people or learning about people who aren’t living anymore.

At Story Roots, we use video, photography, and publishing to build a narrative about your family. While we may use family trees that were created on sites like Ancestry, they would only be used as a visual tool in combination with the audio and video that we capture. We conduct a minimum of 5 hours of interviews with you and your family members (depending on which package you choose) and edit those stories together with photos, documents, and bonus footage.

How does pricing work?

In general, packages start at $1500, dependent upon distance traveled, requested length of interviews, and items included in the final package. However, we believe that all families deserve to have their stories remembered and preserved, so we maintain a sliding scale policy for those in need. Contact us to discuss your needs further.

How does payment work?

Your initial consultation (conducted over video call or in person, if local) is free. Upon contracting, we require a 50% non-refundable payment deposit. This guarantees your dates and times for interviews as well as a final delivery date. From there, we offer two different payment options that we will discuss during the consultation appointment.

Do you have to live in Florida?

No! Although we are based in Sarasota, Florida, we work all across the country. Travel costs will be factored into an estimate.