About the Collection

Transforming the Tar Heel State: The Legacy of Public Libraries in North Carolina is a statewide collaborative digital project that celebrates North Carolina public libraries by providing access to digital versions of historical photographs, postcards, reports, dedications, and other unique materials related to North Carolina's libraries.

Public Library History Files

Hand pulling photograph from file
Above: The Public Library History Files are organized by county/region in manila folders. View the full image here.

The core of this collection has been scanned from the State Library of North Carolina's Public Library History Files. These files contain photographs, reports, newspaper clippings, and other materials that had been sent to the North Carolina Library Commission from public libraries throughout the state. The files span from the late 1800s up through the 1970s, with the majority of the materials dating from the 1940s, 1950s, and 1960s. For years, the files were hidden in a storage area where all but a few library staff had forgotten them. They were re-discovered around 2003 when the storage area was being cleaned out for building renovations. Photographs from the Public Library History Files were included in a display at the North Carolina Library Association's Centennial Conference in 2004.

Transforming the Tar Heel State showcases the very best materials from the Public Library History Files with a specific emphasis on its photographs.


Public Library Participation

Above: A sample of CD-ROMs submitted by North Carolina public libraries

In summer of 2008, the State Library put out a call to North Carolina's public libraries seeking participation in building the Transforming the Tar Heel State collection. Twenty-three public libraries as well as the North Carolina State Archives responded to the call, submitting photographs that demonstrated the impact of public libraries throughout North Carolina's communities. Thirty-four public libraries submitted historical information about their institutions which has been included as part of the project's website. To view the contributions of these project partners, click here.