Citizens of the world are facing what many believe is an unparalleled pandemic, forcing unprecedented changes in the day to day life of every individual. Monmouth County Historical Association has initiated a program designed to gather first person impressions of this tumultuous chapter in history from County residents, both adult and children, to be archived in the digital collection “Remembering COVID-19.”
“As the size and scope of the crisis became more and more apparent, MCHA saw the need to document the day to day experience in Monmouth County and also provide an avenue for people to stay connected in this time of “social distancing”, said Dana Howell, MCHA Research Librarian and Archivist.
Howell, along with Associate Curator Joe Zemla, formulated a survey, with a version for adults and one for children, allowing people to share their impressions and experiences dealing with the COVID-19 outbreak.
A call to respond including the link to the surveys is posted through MCHA social media and on the Association website. In addition, the same request with links was e-mailed to MCHA members and supporters. Participants are also welcomed to share relevant photos documenting their perspectives.
“In designing the questions, we tried to think of what people would be curious to know about this time 100 years from now, focusing on the personal aspects of the event not typically recorded by media,” continued Howell. “Our additional goal for the children’s version is to help instill confidence and a sense of satisfaction as well as offer an opportunity for creativity and even a little fun.”
In addition to creating the collection “Remembering COVID-19”, with permission from participants, submissions will be shared on MCHA’s social media platforms.
To download the “Remembering “COVID-19 questionnaires go to www.monmouthhistory.or
