Everlasting Journey (Truthfully)

The "To the Best of Our Knowledge" (TTBOOK) special collection, a treasure trove of interviews with renowned figures from various fields, is now available for free on the American Archive of Public Broadcasting (AAPB) website.

The collection, which includes over 1,150 TTBOOK shows, is a collaboration between the Library of Congress and Boston's GBH. It aims to permanently preserve significant and historic public radio and television content.

With the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) defunded and winding down, the financial support for the AAPB has been continued by the Mellon Foundation. This move ensures the preservation and growth of the TTBOOK collection.

The TTBOOK collection, known for its sense of wonder, surprise, joyfulness, and curiosity, no matter the subject, features interviews with figures such as Jane Goodall, Salman Rushdie, Alice Walker, Oliver Sacks, Jimmy Carter, David Foster Wallace, Toni Morrison, Stephen Sondheim, Margaret Atwood, E.O. Wilson, and Yo-Yo Ma, among others.

The collection's launch was prioritized by the AAPB partners, and the TTBOOK team, led by Jim Fleming, Steve Paulson, and Anne Strainchamps, has expressed gratitude towards the AAPB archivists. Shannon, a team member, in particular, finds personal solace in the knowledge that TTBOOK's work continues beyond the show's end.

The team searched for reels of the first 11 years of the show in Vilas Communication Hall at UW-Madison before transporting them on a massive truck to be digitized and preserved. The collection is still growing as the reels continue to be digitized.

The spirit that began 35 years ago - that sense of deep connection of hearts and minds - remains in the TTBOOK collection. Shannon's sentiment reflects a sense of gratitude and hope for the future of TTBOOK. The collection is not only the work of the team, but a collective effort of everyone involved.

The TTBOOK Collection is now part of the AAPB special collections, joining renowned public media like Bill Moyers and Sesame Street. This makes the collection accessible to a wider audience, allowing them to experience the wisdom and insights shared by the interviewees.

In conclusion, the TTBOOK special collection is a valuable addition to the AAPB, providing a wealth of knowledge and inspiration for all. The collection will continue into the future, ensuring that the spirit of TTBOOK lives on, connecting hearts and minds for generations to come.