The Living History Project, Madison Public Library’s community history platform, is gathering narratives in a new initiative called Stories from a Distance. The unprecedented social distancing people are doing to prevent the spread of COVID-19 will have far-reaching consequences for individuals, as well as Madison businesses, schools, government, voting, and more.
Stories from a Distance will be collected in three ways:

• Short audio or written interviews with community members that can be conducted online, via phone or through other mediums. Trained facilitators are available to help anyone interested in sharing their story.
• Share a story or moment by submitting an image that evokes this time for you and a written response to it - the response can be a song, poem, short essay or even a brief caption.
• ​If you've posted or shared a story elsewhere already, you can submit a public link for sharing in the Stories from a Distance collection.

Stories from a Distance will gather and share narratives related to COVID-19 and Safer at Home until March 2021. The scope of the project is limited to anyone with a strong Madison connection.
A handful of stories have already been gathered and posted to the Stories from a Distance page, including:

• A support staffer for a hospital in Madison describes how his work and home life have changed since mid-March.
• A woman who became ill during the COVID-19 pandemic describes her symptoms, virtual doctors’ visits, being tested for COVID-19, and going to the emergency room.
• A high school student shares the impact that the COVID-19 pandemic and Safer at Home order has had on his school and personal life, including life events being delayed and how he’s passing the time now.

Explore these stories, learn more, and find out how to share your story by visiting the Stories from a Distance page.