Want to gather your family stories, but not quite sure how to begin? Look in the How-To section under Oral History for "Capturing the Past." There you'll learn how to plan, prepare, conduct, and preserve oral histories.
And you don't need to be a professional to capture wonderful family stories. Check out "Life as a Kid" in the Roots Video vlog to see an example of how great "homemade" oral histories can be. The Appalachian Media Access Center trained local volunteers, including children, to gather these fantastic community stories.
So this holiday season, arm yourselves with a camera, recorder, or pen and paper, and ask your grandparents a few leading questions. In the end, you'll be grateful you were able to extend the life of someone you love through living history.