North Carolina Collection facts for kids
The North Carolina Collection is a special place that holds the largest collection of library materials about a single state. It's like a giant treasure chest filled with books, maps, photos, and more, all about North Carolina! This amazing collection is part of the Louis Round Wilson Special Collections Library at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
The idea for this collection began way back in 1844. It officially became what it is today after a generous gift from John Sprunt Hill in 1930. Inside, you can find special parts like The Thomas Wolfe Collection and The Sir Walter Raleigh Collection.
Contents
How the Collection Started
The story of the North Carolina Collection began in 1844. That year, the University President, David Lowry Swain, started the North Carolina Historical Society. His main goal was to get students excited about history. He also wanted to gather every single book, pamphlet, and newspaper ever made in North Carolina.
He called his growing collection the North Carolina Collection. Over time, it was passed down to other important people. These included University President Kemp P. Battle and later University Librarian Louis Round Wilson. A very important person in its history was John Sprunt Hill. In 1917, he gave money to hire the collection's first curator, Mary Lindsay Thornton. A curator is like a manager who takes care of the collection.
Later, in 1930, John Sprunt Hill made another big gift. He donated the Carolina Inn and other business properties. This meant the North Carolina Collection could use money from these properties (called "trust funds") to grow. This helped the collection become strong and not rely on government funding.
What the Collection Holds
The North Carolina Collection aims to gather everything related to North Carolina. It has a huge amount of items! Imagine over 300,000 books and pamphlets. There are also 6,000 printed maps, which show how the state has changed. You can find 50,000 reels of microfilm, which are like tiny films of old newspapers. Plus, there are 4,000,000 photographs and 35,000 museum objects!
The collection is organized into three main parts:
- The Research Library
- The Gallery
- The Photographic Archives
The Research Library
The Research Library holds items about North Carolina from its very first days up to today. It's a great place for students and researchers to learn about the state's past.
The Gallery
The Gallery shows off special items from the North Carolina Collection. You can see literature, photographs, and historical objects. It even has three historic rooms. Each room is set up to look like a different time in North Carolina's past. The exhibits in the Gallery are free to visit and open to everyone.
The Photographic Archives
The Photographic Archives is home to about 4 million photographs! These pictures show the history of North Carolina through images. They include many different types of photos, from very old ones like daguerreotypes to modern digital pictures.
