Fourteen curious archivists attended the talk given by Liú Chen, Senior Programs Manager, at the National Public Housing Museum on Wednesday, September 24th. Liú gave an incredible presentation about the NPHM's oral history program, including

• an overview of the oral histories they have collected
• the hosting platform Aviary
• NPHM's collecting philosophy and process
• an introduction to the Beauty Turner Academy of Oral History
• their podcast, Out of the Archives
• and much more!

(picture provided by Kaitlyn Griffith)

During the Q&A, discussion turned to the uses and drawbacks of AI in oral history transcription—particularly concerns about how some AI companies use uploaded recordings to train their systems, raising serious questions about narrator privacy and consent as the museum continues to build its unique oral history collection.

We also explored the museum’s free exhibits, including History Lessons, a gallery of everyday artifacts from public housing residents; Care to Look, featuring salvaged pieces from the original Jane Addams Homes; and installations such as Living in the Shade and Art for All, Posters for the People.

A few of us got the chance to go on the Historic Apartments Tour, author included. It was an incredible learning experience, and one I would highly recommend.

Many thanks to our host, the NPHM!