New! Native Seed Library at the GHL
The SLNC Government and Heritage Library has started a free seed library – also known as a seed exchange – to promote gardening for plants native to North Carolina and the region.
The Government and Heritage Library (GHL) Native Seed Library focuses on native seeds for plants indigenous to North Carolina and the surrounding region. Native plants play a crucial role in supporting native species and maintaining the balance of an ecosystem. By concentrating on native seeds, the GHL Native Seed Library aims to support the growth of plant varieties existing in the region before European settlement, which contribute significantly to the local food web and have established beneficial relationships with native insects, microbes, birds, mammals, and other indigenous species. These native plants are uniquely adapted to the region’s specific climate conditions, including sunlight, temperature, precipitation patterns, and soil composition, making them an invaluable asset in promoting sustainable and resilient gardening practices within the local community.
Learn more about the SLNC Government and Heritage Library’s Native Seed Library at https://slnc.info/plantaseed. Make sure to visit us in Raleigh to check out some seeds for yourself.
Story Trails of North Carolina Update
As of November 1, 2023, there are a total of eighty-nine locations on the Story Trails of North Carolina. As part of the North Carolina Literary Trails, the Story Trails are a wonderful family-friendly activity that promotes early literacy development and appreciation for the outdoors. You can usually find Story Trails at a local library or park. Celebrate the Year of the Trail by embarking on your Story Trails adventure at https://slnc.info/LitTrailsST.
New Online Resource: Fortunoff Video Archive
The State Library of North Carolina (SLNC) is pleased to announce that it is now an access site for Yale University Library's Fortunoff Video Archive for Holocaust Testimonies. The SLNC is one of two access sites for the Fortunoff Video Archive in North Carolina.
The Fortunoff Archive currently holds more than 4,400 testimonies, comprising over 12,000 recorded hours of videotape. Testimonies were produced in cooperation with thirty-six affiliated projects across North America, South America, Europe, and Israel. The Fortunoff Archive and its affiliates recorded the testimonies of willing individuals with first-hand experience of the Nazi persecutions, including those who were in hiding, survivors, bystanders, resistants, and liberators.
SLNC Government & Heritage Library cardholders can access the Fortunoff Archive with their library card at https://slnc.info/FVA.
NC Cardinal
The Warren County Memorial Library joined the NC Cardinal Library consortium on Sept. 21, 2023. Through resource sharing, Warren County Memorial Library users can access over 7 million items in other NC Cardinal libraries.
Each fall, the State Library accepts applications from libraries interested in joining the consortium the following fiscal year. NC Cardinal is a collaboration between the State Library and public libraries throughout the state and is comprised of 52-member library systems in 64 counties. Members share an Integrated Library System and participate in resource sharing. On average, last year, member libraries loaned approximately $245,000 worth of materials to their patrons that were obtained through resource sharing. To learn more about NC Cardinal and its services, please visit slnc.info/nccardinal.
NC Cardinal is a program of the State Library of North Carolina, supported by grant funds from the Institute of Museum and Library Services under the provisions of the Federal Library Services and Technology Act.
SLNC at the American Indian Heritage Celebration
We are excited to be part of the 28th Annual American Indian Heritage Celebration. Make sure to stop by the State Library of North Carolina table on the classroom level of the North Carolina Museum of History on Saturday, Nov. 18, 2023. Learn more about this family-friendly cultural event at https://slnc.info/AAIHC.
SLNC at NCLA
The North Carolina Library Association held its 65th Biennial Conference in Winston-Salem from October 16-20, 2023, and the State Library was a proud sponsor and exhibitor at the conference. Highlights included:
Conference Keynote Speakers
Opening keynote speaker Dr. David Campt, “The Dialogue Guy,” is a renowned expert in inclusion and equity, cultural competence, civic engagement, and intergroup dialogue.
Closing keynote speaker, Kwame Mbalia, New York Times bestselling author of the Coretta Scott King Author Honored Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky in addition to the Tristan Strong series and other books like Last Gate of the Emperor.
Ogilvie Lecture
State Librarian Michelle Underhill had the opportunity to discuss digital access and equity with Annette Taylor, Director of the N.C. Office of Digital Equity and Literacy, N.C. Department of Information Technology, Division of Broadband and Digital Equity, and Claudia Alemán, Main Library Branch Manager of the Durham County Library during the Ogilvie Lecture, Cultivating Community and Digital Equity: Strengthening and Extending Roots, Supporting Growth.
Across North Carolina, numerous remarkable projects are underway to improve broadband access and digital skills. Libraries of all types are essential to this work. They aid their communities by providing access to devices and the internet and answering daily tech queries, even beyond special programs or initiatives. North Carolina is getting more connected and actively working towards bridging the digital divide.
SLNC Staff Presenters
Several State Library of North Carolina staff members presented during the biannual conference, including:
The SLNC Accessible Books and Library Services (ABLS) offers a positive impact on its patrons across North Carolina. They offer services to individuals and institutions, including libraries. During the panel, ABLS patrons offered a first-hand account of their relationship with the library. SLNC Accessible Books and Library Services (ABLS) Joshua Berkov, Tawanda Walters and Clint Exum, Reja Couch, Forsyth County Social Worker for the Blind, and ABLS patron Sandy Shaw served as panelists.
SLNC presenters Amanda Johnson, Lauren Clossey, and Carleôn Reign discussed the State Library’s initiative to help opportunity youth reconnect with meaningful employment and educational opportunities by obtaining their high school diploma through Excel Online High School. This pilot program, funded in part with a Library Services and Technology grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services, offered 30 scholarships to opportunity youth living in Halifax, Hertford, Northampton, and Wayne counties.
SLNC presenters Erin Holmes, Becky Forbes, and Olivia Carlisle of the State Archives of North Carolina shared information about migrating the NC Digital Collections from CONTENTdm to Quartex. The NC Digital Collections is a collaborative project between the State Library and State Archives. The migration was funded in part with a Library Services and Technology Act grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services.