Reporters from the Journal-World and 6News will spread out across the community Thursday to capture a day in the life of Lawrence – and they hope community members join them in creating a “living time capsule.”

Individuals and organizations across Lawrence are invited to participate in the “24 Hours in Lawrence” on May 10 by documenting their own day in video, photos, written stories or any other medium they choose.

Lawrence residents also can head to Watkins Community Museum of History and several other sites across town to tell their stories to historians and reporters.

Some of those community-created stories will appear in the paper and on 6News. All other contributions – assuming they meet taste and legal standards – will be published at LJWorld.com.

Stories from the project will begin running in the newspaper, on TV and online, starting May 22.

“We’re very excited,” said Joel Mathis, the World Company’s managing editor for convergence. “We know there are far more stories to be told in Lawrence this Thursday than our staff can possibly cover. The opportunity to hear those stories, directly from the people living them, makes this a fun project for us and a wonderful event to document a small part of the community’s history.”

Lawrencians also can make an appointment for Thursday with the Watkins Museum, which will videotape oral histories with city residents – to be stored in the museum archives and published at LJWorld.com.

“I think it’s really important just to get a glimpse into life during 2007,” said Helen Krische, an archivist at the museum. “I think the most important thing is hearing it from the common person, the everyday person on the street. So many times when you read past history, it’s only the very rich and very famous.”

Appointments can be made by calling the museum at 841-4109.

That won’t be the only place Lawrencians can tell their stories, though. A Journal-World news clerk will criss-cross the community Thursday, asking residents why they make Lawrence their home.

News clerk Robert Riley will be at these locations to chat with residents:

• 10 a.m.: Hy-Vee, 4000 W. Sixth St.
• Noon: Johnny’s Tavern, 401 N. Second St.
• 2:45 p.m.: Lawrence Public Library, 707 Vt.
• 4:15 p.m.: Hastings Books Music & Video, 1900 W. 23rd St.

All community contributions to the “24 Hours in Lawrence” project are due by 5 p.m. May 15. They can be sent to the NewsCenter, 645 N.H.; or delivered by e-mail with a “24 Hours” subject line to editor@ljworld.com.