The oral history collections contain cassettes and some transcripts or logs of the interviews of local oral history interviews on various aspects of Rhode Island life in the twentieth century. The Special Collections Unit is a depository for these oral history projects, which were conducted by other agencies. Indexes and finding aids describing the histories are kept in the Unit. Electronic versions of selected finding aids are linked to this web page.

The Family in the Fifties
Mss.Gr.116; 1994; 29 cassette tapes; transcripts

Fine, Samuel Family History
Mss.Gr.203; 1975-1976; 4 cassette tapes; no transcripts

Galilee Fishermen
Mss.Gr.37; 1979; 13 cassette tapes; partial index, supporting research material

Graduate School of Oceanography Oral History Interviews
Rec.Gr.138; 1999; 7 digital video cassettes; no transcripts

Billy Graham Sermons, June 1953
Mss.Gr.173; 1953; 14 reel to reel audio tapes; no transcripts

HERA (Gallery)
Mss.Gr.64;1988; 23 cassette tapes; no transcripts

Immigrant Oral Histories
Mss.Gr.32;1976-1978; 4 cassette tapes; transcripts

In the Wake of ’38
Mss.Gr.30; 1977; 84 cassette tapes; transcripts

Jamestown Bridge Project
Mss.Gr.93; 1989; 29 cassette tapes; indexed; no transcripts

Jamestown and Newport Ferry Company
Mss.Gr.55; 1986;  37 cassette tapes; indexes

Bernard LaFayette Oral History Project
Mss.Gr.123; 2002-2003; 10 interviews; index; transcripts

Life Story Theatre
Mss.Gr.66; 1987-1988; 13 cassette tapes; transcripts

Florence Luscomb
Mss.Gr.82; 1972-1973; 8 cassette tapes; transcripts

Mill Life Oral History Collection
Mss.Gr.81; 1970-1977; 144 cassette tapes, 42 reel-to-reel tapes; transcripts

The Narragansett Indians: 1930's and 1940's
Oral History Interview of Mable Graves (Osahadah)
Mss.Gr.23; 1976;  2 cassette tapes; transcript

(Re)Presenting a Half Century: Oral History of the College of Arts and Sciences
Mss.Gr.124; 1982; 9 videocassette tapes; no transcripts

Rhode Island Black Heritage Society Oral Histories
Mss.Gr.174; 1998; 9 cassette tapes; no transcripts

Rhode Island Working Women
Mss.Gr.52; 1982; 33 cassette tapes; transcripts

Rhode Island’s Islands
Mss.Gr.54; 1985-1986; 60 cassette tapes; logs

South Providence Community Gardener Oral History Project
Mss.Gr.122; 1997; 7 cassette tapes; transcripts

University of Rhode Island Oral History
Mss.Gr.39; 1979; 13 cassette tapes; transcripts

University of Rhode Island Centennial Oral History
Mss.Gr.109; 1992; 52 cassette tapes; no transcripts

John C. Weldin and Donald B. Webster Oral Histories of Rhode Island State College
Mss.Gr.202; 1958-1960; reel-to-reel and cassette tapes; transcripts

What Did You Do in the War, Grandma?
Mss.Gr.85; 1989; 42 cassette tapes; transcripts

The Whole World Was Watching,1968
Mss.Gr.143; 1998;  22 cassette tapes; transcripts   

Yankee Ingenuity
Mss.Gr.31;1968; 27 cassette tapes; transcripts

Eligible users and restrictions on use
Any qualified person doing scholarly research is permitted to use material housed in the Special Collections Unit. 

Before beginning research, everyone is required to sign the “Research and Guest Register.” A Research Form must be completed if the researcher is using manuscript or archival collections. Collections are used under specific restrictions and may not be removed from the Reading Room area or borrowed from the collections. Permission may be granted to obtain copies of items in the collections. A fee is charged for this service and the copying is performed by the staff. 

Care must be exercised at all times when handling materials. Consuming food or beverages, smoking, and the use of pens are not permitted.