Princeton Public Library has been awarded a nearly $19,500 grant from the New Jersey State Library to further its Voices of Princeton initiative, an effort by the library, the Historical Society of Princeton, the Arts Council of Princeton, and the Witherspoon-Jackson Historical and Cultural Society to preserve local history through the collection and sharing of the stories of members of the Princeton community.
Funds from the grant will be used to purchase improved recording equipment to ensure high quality recording of Voices of Princeton stories. Storytelling kits will also be made available through the Library of Things for patrons to use to record and save their stories outside the library.
A series of classes on designing an oral history project, using recording equipment and processing digital content will also be made possible through the grant as will the acquisition of professional equipment for the creation of a Voices of Princeton podcast to be released in June, 2026.
In addition to a listening station at the library where visitors can hear recorded stories, Voices of Princeton listening stations are planned for the Historical Society of Princeton, the Arts Council of Princeton and Morven Museum & Garden.
The grant is part of the New Jersey State Library’s REV 25O: Examining the Semiquincentennial through a Jersey Lens initiative, “an opportunity for public libraries to celebrate New Jersey’s contribution and place in history.”
During the U.S. Semiquincentennial year, Voices of Princeton will explore the relationship between the U.S. Bicentennial in 1976 and the 2026 celebration by inviting community members to share memories of the Bicentennial celebration in Princeton, to comment on what has since changed for our community, and to share their hopes for the future of our country.
The community, particularly young people and those who remain marginalized in our present society, will also have a chance to reflect on the “unfinished revolution,” and how the promises of the American Revolution were not universally applied.
