This project centers around interviews with professional and/or personal acquaintances of Elinor and Vincent Ostrom. Every interview explores a unique relationship with the Ostroms and the continuing impact of the Ostrom Workshop at Indiana University. Elinor (Lin) and Vincent Ostrom founded the Workshop in Political Theory and Policy Analysis in 1973.The Ostrom Workshop has been the catalyst for worldwide collaboration in the field of public policy and environmental issues. "Coming Together" is an interdisciplinary exploration of the legacy and impact of Elinor (Lin) and Vincent Ostrom. Major topics include; academia, "the commons", cross-disciplinary collaboration, Elinor Ostrom's Nobel Prize, the Ostrom Workshop, political science, political theory, and the Workshop on the Ostrom Workshop (WOW) conference. The project was created to assist in the dissertation research of Sara Catherine Clark, who was a doctoral candidate within the School of Education, pursing a Ph.D. in History, Philosophy, and Policy in Education, at Indiana University Bloomington. Sara Catherine Clark's dissertation was completed in 2019 and is cited as follows: Clark, S. C. (2019). Elinor ostrom: A biography of interdisciplinary life.
Carol Parks is the spouse of Roger Parks and friend of the Ostroms'. Roger Parks is a former student of Elinor Ostrom's, which is how they initially met. Carol Parks built a stronger relationship with Elinor Ostrom while cataloging the artwork in the Ostrom house. During this cataloging project Elinor Ostrom and Parks consulted many different people and agencies including the Mathers Museum. This leads to a discussion about the construction of the Ostrom house, which was built like a Native American longhouse. She further discusses the Ostroms' collection of Native American work while they were at their Manitoulin Island house in Ontario, Canada. Roger and Carol Parks had the opportunity to go to this house on the island which is discussed. Parks then discusses the impact of Elinor Ostrom's Nobel Prize in Economics and the changes in the Ostrom Workshop over the years. The interview concludes with personal antecedents about the Ostroms.