In her role as public services and special collections librarian, Kimberly Hewitt curates, catalogs, and digitizes local history materials at the Newton Free Library. She is also helping to conduct an oral history project for the city, creating records for future generations.
Established in December 2015, Newton Talks shares the stories and experiences of Newton natives and residents through the joint efforts of the library, Historic Newton, Newton Veterans Services, and the Newton Senior Center. Community partners include Brookhaven Hospice, the Chinese American Association of Newton, and Crossing Generations, a Newton South High School student group focused on intergenerational programming.
Interviews, which so far have ranged from approximately 15 to 49 minutes, are conducted monthly by appointment at Newton City Hall and other locations as required. As the initial phase involving veterans winds down, Hewitt and her colleagues are now seeking relatives of veterans and immigrants with a connection to Newton.
In all, 27 veterans of World War II and the Vietnam, Korean, and Gulf wars have participated, as well as six immigrants of China, Italy, Taiwan, and Venezuela. However, only one family member of a veteran has come forward to date: Elyse Katz, whose late husband, US Army Air Forces Staff Sergeant Robert Sandor Katz, was a gunner on B-24 and B-27 bombers during World War II.
“Their experiences are just as valid [as servicemen],’’ Hewitt said. “In general, a lot of people think, ‘I’m not special,’ but that’s not true. What they see as day-to-day minutiae is in actuality important to capture.’’
In fact, Hewitt and her colleagues have begun sharing lessons learned from the project at regional library conferences to inspire oral history projects in other communities. Once the microphone is visible, for example, participants may become tongue-tied, garrulous, or emotional. Afterward, however, many comment that the process was cathartic — even rewarding.
“I hope ours is just the beginning,’’ said Hewitt, noting that the next topic of Newton Talks will be life within the city’s various villages. “It’s time-consuming in some regards, but definitely worthwhile to share so many amazing life experiences.’’
For more information, contact Hewitt at 617-796-1380 or khewitt@minlib.net, or visit guides.newtonfreelibrary.net/newtontalks.
Cindy Cantrell can be reached at cindycantrell20@gmail.com.
