Kentucky Historical Society
Kentucky Folklife Program Collecting Documentation of Inaugural Celebrations

FRANKFORT, KY (January 26, 2009)— Did your organization or church record a sermon or oration about the significance of President Barack Obama’s inauguration?  The American Folklife Center (AFC) would like to receive a copy of recordings made between January 16 and January 25 to include in their collection.

In an effort to document this historic time around the country, the AFC is seeking as wide a representation of orations as possible, including religious and secular celebrations.  Audio and visual recordings in any format, photos, and printed programs will be accepted by the AFC and will become part of the Library of Congress American Folklife Center collections.

The Kentucky Folklife Program (KFP), an interagency program of the Kentucky Historical Society and the Kentucky Arts Council, joined the initiative of the AFC by collecting recordings of local orations and sermons regarding the significance of the inauguration from citizens in the commonwealth.  If you have a recording of a local inaugural event and would like to submit it to the AFC, please call the staff of the KFP for assistance.  Required release forms and information sheets can be found on the AFC Web site at www.loc.gov/folklife/inaugural/index.html.   The KFP staff can assist with the required forms and mailing regulations for any interested parties that submit recordings by February 26.

The mission of the KFP is to identify, document, and conserve the state's diverse cultural traditions, generally referred to as folklife.  The KFP strives to increase awareness of the state’s folklife through diverse cultural programming.

For more information about the KFP or for assistance with submitting inaugural documentation to the AFC, contact Bob Gates, KHS folklife program director, at 502-564-1792, ext. 4481 or by email at bob.gates@ky.gov. 

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An agency of the Kentucky Tourism, Arts and Heritage Cabinet, the Kentucky Historical Society, since 1836, has provided connections to the past, perspective on the present, and inspiration for the future.  KHS operates the Old State Capitol, the Kentucky Military History Museum, and its headquarters, the Thomas D. Clark Center for Kentucky History.   Since 1999, the thirty-million-dollar Center has welcomed more than one million visitors.   For more information about the Kentucky Historical Society and its programs, visit the Web site at www.history.ky.gov.