The overriding mission of the Friends of the North Carolina Room is to support the activities of the North Carolina Collection to enhance the historical, intellectual and literary aspects of community life in Buncombe County and Western North Carolina.
To accomplish this mission The Friends work to increase public awareness and stimulate the use of the collection’s resources; provide programs that engage and enlighten the Friends members and the local community; serve as ambassadors for the collection and advise the staff of the collection as needed.
How can you become a friend?
Just fill out our Friends form (here) and either drop it off at Pack Library or mail it to us.
One of the best ways that we work to increase public awareness and engagement is by offering monthly programs on local history topics by knowledgeable speakers. Funds from the Friends of the NC Room help make these programs possible.
Friends of the North Carolina Room have also funded:
Exhibits
Field Trips for Buncombe County Schools Students
Internships
One of the benefits of being a Friend of the North Carolina Room is that you get invited to our yearly Social.
2015 Social at the Rankin House in Montford.
2016 Social at the Bier Garden.
Are you interested in local history, architecture, photographs, manuscripts, oral histories, newspapers?
Would you like to be in closer contact with the North Carolina Room–maybe even work with staff behind the scenes?
Volunteer Laura Gaskin:
Laura Gaskin first came to Pack Memorial Library as the Head of the North Carolina Room and then became Head of Adult Services. After her retirement, her love for the collection brings her back to us to help scan and enter records for our ever-growing collection. We are ever grateful for the time she gives us and for getting to remain friends.
Would you like to serve as an ambassador for the collection within the community at large, letting people know about the North Carolina Room and the kinds of materials it contains?
The needs are great. Your membership in the Friends of the North Carolina Room will help ensure that our historical collections and others yet to come will be preserved for scholars and students of the future.
We hope you will join the Friends of the North Carolina Room, not only to assist us in our work of collecting and preserving but also to participate in a rewarding association with others who value books and manuscripts.
Officers and Meetings
The Friends of the North Carolina Room elect officers at their January meeting. Terms are for one year and the By-laws state no rules about term limits.
“Local History is, at its heart – as is history itself – the study of the human condition in and through time . . . It begs for studies of how we have lived in the past, in this particular place.”
– On Doing Local History by Carol Kammen
I have two black and white photographs of students who attended St. Anthony of Padua Catholic School, 56 Walton Street, Asheville NC.
One photo is dated 1962 with students and one teacher outside posing; the other is in front of the rectory on May Day. There is no date on it, but I am in the photo and remember the May Day processions. Could you scan these photos to use in showing local African American History ?
Thank you for all this great information and the valuable talks and events you are sponsoring. Jennifer Vogel, North Asheville