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Neuenschwander writes guide for oral historians

December 20, 2009

John Neuenschwander, professor emeritus of history, long has had a keen interest in oral history. He has written several pamphlets on oral history, presented papers to the Oral History Association, and written articles for the association's newsletter.

Now Mr. Neuenschwander has written a book, A Guide to Oral History and the Law, published by Oxford University Press.

"To my understanding there's nothing else like this," he says, describing the book as a guide for both professional and amateur oral historians. While he says oral historians are the primary audience for the book, he says attorneys "might find this a helpful primer."

The book focuses on how to avoid legal problems while gathering and using oral history interviews. Topics covered include legal release agreements, protecting sealed interviews, copyright and the Internet.

"To anticipate legal problems you have to know what they might be," says Mr. Neuenschwander, who has served as Kenosha's Municipal Judge since 1986. Legal problems in oral history aren't very common, he adds, "but the use of oral history continues to skyrocket," from presidential libraries to community historical societies, as well as in business and higher education.

This is Mr. Neuenschwander's second book. His first, The Middle Colonies and the Coming of the American Revolution, was published in 1973, four years after he began his 39 years on Carthage's faculty.

"I have a feeling this has a fairly specialized audience," Mr. Neuenschwander says of his new book.

A Guide to Oral History and the Law is available from the publisher, or at amazon.com.