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Intellect

Library of Congress' American Folklife Center hosts field school at BYU July 11-31

Application deadline is April 14

The Library of Congress' American Folklife Center will host its annual field school at Brigham Young University July 11-31.

The program, sponsored by the Harold B. Lee Library's William A. Wilson Folklore Archive, will offer lectures, hands-on workshops and supervised team-based fieldwork from professionals at the American Folklore Center and BYU.

Applications for the field school are due April 15.

Participants will also learn such techniques as interviewing, sound recording, photography, field note writing, ethnographic observation and archival organization.

The field school program is open to Lee librarians and students, as well as alumni and members of the community.

The cost of the school is $1,150 for the entire three-week package, which includes lodging, most meals, instruction, course materials and equipment use. Partial scholarships, based on need, may be available. For an additional fee students can receive credit for taking the course.

For more information, contact Kristi A. Bell at (801) 422-6041 or Kristi_bell@byu.edu. Application letters can be mailed to Bell at 1130 HBLL, Provo, Utah 84602.

This year the field school will study the culture and traditions of family-operated orchards in Utah Valley and will give students the knowledge and experience to record and contribute their own accounts of folklore to lend to this project.

The field school is designed for adults who have a strong interest in, but little or no experience with cultural documentation. Schoolteachers, museum curators, local historians, librarians, community organizers and students are some of those who have benefited from previous field schools offered by the center.

Writer: Thomas Grover

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