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Agency overview | |
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Formed | 1812 |
Jurisdiction | State of North Carolina |
Headquarters | 109 East Jones Street Raleigh, NC 27699-4601 |
Agency executive |
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Parent agency | North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources |
Website | statelibrary |
The State Library of North Carolina is an institution which serves North Carolina libraries, state government employees, genealogists, and the citizens of North Carolina. The library is the main depository for North Carolina state publications [1] and serves the needs of North Carolina government agencies and state government employees by providing access to information resources that are vital to public decision-making and economic development.
The State Library of North Carolina is a division of the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources, an agency that promotes and protects North Carolina’s arts, history, and culture.
The library has two locations, both in the state capital, Raleigh. The main building is located on East Jones Street next to the North Carolina State Legislative Building and near the North Carolina Museum of History and the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences. The Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped is located on Capital Boulevard.
The origins of the State Library date from 1812 when the North Carolina General Assembly required the Secretary of State to collect, catalog, and safeguard books and documents for use by the state legislature and government officials. The library's primary responsibility during the nineteenth century was to serve the state legislature. [2]
Although the State Library was patronized primarily by state officials, the public was allowed to use the reference collection on library premises beginning in 1845. [2] Open circulation was permitted for a period during the 1870s until the mid 1880s. [2] Until the last decade of the century, the State Library served as the state's only tax-supported library. [2]
In response to a growing demand for more systematic support of the public library movement, the General Assembly of 1909 established the North Carolina Library Commission. [2] Formed for the primary purpose of promoting the development of free public libraries on the local level, the commission's responsibilities included the following: assisting in the establishment of new libraries, including public school libraries; supplementing local collections; distributing library literature; and providing advice to trustees and libraries on library services.
In 1918, the State Library was run by the first woman head of a state department in North Carolina, Carrie Lougee Broughton. [3]
In 1955, the legislature combined the State Library and the North Carolina Library Commission into one agency called the State Library. The combined programs of these two agencies served as the foundation of future developments. The State Library's responsibilities included maintaining a general collection of books, periodicals, newspapers, maps, films, audio-visual and other materials. These materials were available for use on the premises by citizens and state employees and for circulation to public libraries, state agencies, and their employees under policies established by the state librarian and approved by the Board of Trustees. Other responsibilities involved providing sets of laws and journals for the General Assembly and offering advice and assistance to libraries throughout the state and to other state agencies with special reference collections.
At the request of the North Carolina Commission for the Blind in 1958, the State Library accepted responsibility for providing library services to the blind. In subsequent years the State Library extended additional services to those unable to hold or read ordinary printed materials because of physical or visual impairments.
In the Executive Organization Act of 1973, the State Library was transferred to the Department of Cultural Resources, now the Department of Natural and Cultural Resources, which absorbed the statutory functions of the State Library.
In 1987, the legislature established a depository system for the distribution of state publications to designated libraries throughout the state. Under terms of the law, the Division of State Library was given responsibility for administering an orderly system to provide public access to the valuable current and historical publications of state government—including documents in paper, film, tape, disk, or any other format. In order to facilitate a distribution system, the legislation authorized the establishment of a State Publications Clearinghouse within the State Library.
The State Library Commission was restructured in 1991 and was given an advisory role to the secretary of Natural and Cultural Resources in the following major areas: recruitment and appointment of the state librarian and State Library operations and programs, including information services for the cultural, educational, and economic well-being of the state. The commission was also charged with working for the financial support of local public library and statewide services, including interlibrary programs.
The State Library of North Carolina provides the following services to its patrons:
An online portal for over 90,000 historic and recent photographs, state government publications, manuscripts, and other resources on topics related to North Carolina. The Collections are free, full-text searchable, and bring together content from the State Archives of North Carolina and the State Library of North Carolina. The portal contains 30+ distinct collections, including State Publications, Family Records, Urban Development in North Carolina, and NC MOSAIC.
The State Library's Government and Heritage Library heads an ongoing large-scale digitization project for state government publications in its collection, providing online access to historical state agency publications. These collections can be explored through the North Carolina State Government Publications Collection website. The Government and Heritage Library has also digitized materials from its genealogical collections and general collections. All digitized materials, including state publications and non-state publications, can be found online in the North Carolina Digital Collections.
The State Library's Government and Heritage Library, together with the State Archives of North Carolina, collects and archives the websites and social media accounts of state agencies.
The North Carolina Center for the Book develops and coordinates a wide range of programs hosted locally by public libraries and their community partners. It serves as an advocate, promoting the vital role of books, reading, literacy, and libraries in North Carolina. This is a state affiliate of the Center for the Book at the Library of Congress.
The Government and Heritage Library offers interlibrary loan services to State Employees who work in Raleigh. State Employees who work outside of Raleigh can take advantage of Interlibrary Loan Services through their local public libraries.
The State Library is North Carolina's central point of dissemination for Library Services and Technology Act Grants. In 2006–2007, the State Library gave away $4.4 million in grants to eligible North Carolina academic, public, special, school, and state agency libraries. [4]
The public libraries, community colleges, the state's university system, and members of the North Carolina Association of Independent Colleges and Universities are provided online access to NC LIVE, an extensive and diverse collection of premium electronic resources. The State Library, a member of NC LIVE, supports the training operations of the program.
Maintained by the Government and Heritage Library, and hosted by NC LIVE, this resource is designed to give an overview of the people, the government, the history, and the resources of North Carolina. The encyclopedia is organized into eight broad information categories: Counties and Communities, Education, Geography, Health and Society, History, People, State Government, and State Symbols.
The North Carolina State Publications Clearinghouse is responsible for collecting, classifying, cataloging and distributing the publications of state government agencies to selected North Carolina Depository Libraries throughout the state. Currently, there are 22 Depository Libraries throughout North Carolina that receive publications through the North Carolina State Publications Clearinghouse. The Clearinghouse also collects and preserves digital state publications that are made accessible to the public through the digital State Publications Collection.
In North Carolina, the standards for the certification of public librarians are set by the North Carolina Public Library Certification Commission. The Commission meets quarterly to consider applications from librarians who wish to gain their North Carolina certification as public librarians.
The Federal Depository Library Program (FDLP) is a government program created to make U.S. federal government publications available to the public at no cost. As of April 2021, there are 1,114 depository libraries in the United States and its territories. A "government publication" is defined in the U.S. Code as "informational matter which is published as an individual document at Government expense, or as required by law".
The California State Library is the state library of the State of California, founded in 1850 by the California State Legislature. The Library collects, preserves, generates and disseminates a wide array of information. Today, it is the central reference and research library for state government and the Legislature. The California State Library advises, consults with and provides technical assistance to California's public libraries. It directs state and federal funds to support local public libraries and statewide library programs, including Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) grants. The California State Library's mission is to serve as "...the state’s information hub, preserving California’s cultural heritage and connecting people, libraries and government to the resources and tools they need to succeed and to build a strong California." With the exception of the Sutro Library in the J. Paul Leonard Library at San Francisco State University, the other two branches are located in Sacramento, California, at 914 Capitol Mall and 900 N Street. A third branch, located in the California State Capitol, closed in 2020 in preparation for the demolition of the Annex and is expected to return when the new building is completed.
The United States Congressional Serial Set began in 1817 as the official collection of reports and documents of the United States Congress. The collection was published in a "serial" fashion, hence its name. It has been described as the "nation's most treasured publication" and beloved by librarians as "part of their most valued holdings."
The State Library of Oregon in Salem, is the library for the U.S. state of Oregon. The mission of the State Library of Oregon is to provide leadership and resources to continue growing vibrant library services for Oregonians with print disabilities, the Legislature and state government, and all Oregonians through local libraries.
The New York State Library is a research library in Albany, New York, United States. It was established in 1818 to serve the state government of New York and is part of the New York State Education Department. The library is one of the largest in the world by number of items held, with over 20 million cataloged items in 2011.
The Texas State Library and Archives Commission (TSLAC) refers to the state government agency in the state of Texas that supports the reading, learning, and historical preservation needs of Texas and its people. The agency is charged with preserving the archival record of Texas, supporting research, and making primary resources available to the public; assisting public, academic, and school libraries across the state in meeting the needs of their communities and students; helping public agencies maintain their public records; and supporting the reading needs of thousands of Texans with disabilities preventing them from reading a standard book.
The Texas A&M University Libraries support the teaching, research, and outreach missions of Texas A&M University through leadership in acquiring, managing, and delivering information in an environment that fosters learning and inquiry. In particular, Texas A&M is nationally and internationally recognized for many research collections, including:
The Connecticut State Library is the state library for the U.S. state of Connecticut and is also an executive branch agency of the state. It is located in Hartford, Connecticut directly across the street from the Connecticut State Capitol. The State Library provides a variety of library, information, archival, public records, museum, and administrative services to the citizens of Connecticut, as well as the employees and officials of all three branches of state government. Students, researchers, public libraries and town governments throughout the state are also served by the State Library. In addition, the State Library directs a program of statewide library development and administers the Library Services Technology Act state grant. "The mission of the Connecticut State Library is to preserve and make accessible Connecticut's history and heritage and to advance the development of library services statewide."
Michigan State University Libraries is the academic library system of Michigan State University in East Lansing, Michigan, United States. The library system comprises nine branch locations including the Main Library. As of 2021-22, the MSU Libraries ranked 26th among U.S. and Canadian research libraries by number of volumes and 7th among U.S. and Canadian research libraries by number of titles held.
The Nebraska Library Commission is a Nebraska state government agency. Located in Lincoln, the Library Commission provides reference, resources, training, and consulting for all types of library in the state. The various collections housed at the Library Commission are used to serve librarians, state employees, seekers of government information, and visually handicapped Nebraskans. The Library Commission is a clearinghouse for state government publications and makes many documents accessible online.
The State Library of Ohio is a state agency that provides services to state government and all types of libraries to ensure that all Ohio residents, rich or poor, rural or urban, receive the best possible library service and are able to engage in lifelong learning which strengthens the economic health of Ohio.
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In the context of libraries and archives, an inventory refers to a detailed list or record of the items, materials, or resources held within a collection.
The University of North Texas Libraries is an American academic research library system that serves the constituent colleges and schools of University of North Texas in Denton. The phrase "University of North Texas Libraries" encompasses three aspects: The library collections as a whole and its organizational structure; The physical facilities and digital platform that house the collections; and certain self-contained collections of substantial size that warrant the name "Library"—the Music Library and the Digital Libraries (collections), for example, are housed in Willis Library.
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Mollie Huston Lee was the first African American librarian in Raleigh, North Carolina, and the founder of Raleigh's Richard B. Harrison Public Library, the first library in Raleigh to serve African Americans. Her greatest achievement was developing, maintaining, and increasing public library service to the African American people of Raleigh and Wake County, North Carolina, while striving to achieve equal library service for the entire community.
The Government Documents Program is a part of the George A. Smathers Libraries at the University of Florida. The Libraries receives government publications from all levels of government, and from many areas around the world. The staff performs both technical and public service functions in an effort to make this resource of government information available to both the University of Florida community and the public at large; staff also have prepared LibGuides on various topics to assist patrons.
The State Library of Iowa is a library service in the U.S. state of Iowa. Founded in around 1840, it is based in Des Moines and is run by the Iowa Department of Education. The State Library supports local libraries in the state and it itself acts as a resource for the state government and its citizens. It is funded from local taxation.
Arkansas State Library (ASL) is a special library which operates as a state agency under the Arkansas Department of Education, within the Arkansas state government. It provides information about resources for state agencies, legislators and legislative staff. The library also provides guidance and support for the development of local public libraries and library services. ASL provides resources, services and leadership for the educational, informational and cultural needs of Arkansas citizens.
The State Archives of North Carolina, officially the North Carolina Division of Archives and Records, is a division of North Carolina state government responsible for collecting, preserving, and providing public access to historically significant archival materials relating to North Carolina, and responsible for providing guidance on the preservation and management of public government records to state, county, city and state university officials. First founded as the North Carolina Historical Commission in 1903, the State Archives has undergone multiple changes in organization, title, and relation to other state agencies. Since May 2012, it has been known as the Division of Archives and Records within the North Carolina Department of Natural & Cultural Resources' Office of Archives and History.
Reference services are provided at both of the State Library's locations, on E. Jones Street and Capital Boulevard in Raleigh.
The Library Development Section offers resources, programs, workshops and training opportunities related to library services for youth.
The Government and Heritage Library boasts one of the largest and most comprehensive collections of North Carolina genealogical resources in the state. The Genealogy Collection includes books (family histories, published abstracts, county, state and federal records), periodicals, census indexes, and microfilms related to North Carolina as well as states from which and to which North Carolinians migrated. [5] Nearly all the Genealogy materials are shelved in open stacks. The Genealogy Reading Room is located on the Mezzanine floor of the State Library.
A diverse general collection containing many resources concerning North Carolina's rich history, biographies, fiction, travel books, children's books related to North Carolina, and other topics of interest to North Carolinians. All items in the General Collection are shelved in closed stacks which are only accessible to State Library staff. A patron can view books from the General Collection by requesting them from the State Library's Information (Reference) Desk.
The State Library is the official, complete, and permanent depository for State publications. As such, they have one of the largest and most comprehensive collections of North Carolina documents in the state. The State Library is also a member of the Federal Depository Library Program. As such, they have an impressive collection of Federal government publications as well. Except for the documents in the reference collection, all government documents are shelved in closed stacks which are only accessible to State Library staff. A patron can view documents by requesting them from the State Library's Information Desk.
An impressive collection of North Carolina newspapers on microfilm containing over 3 million newspaper pages. The collection contains selected newspapers from just about every one of the 100 counties in North Carolina; certain titles date as far back as 1751. Current newspapers are shelved in the reference reading room. All newspapers on microfilm are shelved in closed stacks which are only accessible to State Library staff. A patron can view microfilmed newspapers by requesting them from the State Library's Information Desk.
A small and specialized selection of rare books which cover topics related to North Carolina. Qualities of the rare books include age, limited printings, signatures, and/or custom illustrations. All rare books are shelved in closed stacks which are only accessible to State Library staff. A patron can view rare materials by requesting them from the State Library's Information Desk.
The reference collection contains: North Carolina resources, current periodicals and newspapers, business information, North Carolina telephone directories, frequently requested state and federal government publications, statistical materials, directories, indices, and maps.
A collection of videocassettes and DVDs designed to support the departments and programs of the state government. The collection is particularly strong in the areas of business, human resource development, and safety training. The videos and DVDs can be borrowed by state agencies and/or state employees for 10 days. All videos and DVDs are shelved in closed stacks which are only accessible to State Library staff. A patron can request videos and DVDs at the State Library's Information Desk.
The Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped offers the same book and magazine titles found in a typical public library. Materials are in large print, braille, or audio formats. The audio materials are either cassette tapes or record discs. Patrons may read one or more formats of their choice. The cassette tape and records are recorded at slower speeds than commercially available tapes and records. Thus, the library also loans specially designed cassette players and record players to patrons who request tape or record service. All of these resources are housed in the Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped at 1841 Capital Boulevard in Raleigh.
The State Library is made up of three main sections (Administration Section, Library Development Section, and the Library Services Section) and the North Carolina State Library Commission.
The Administration Section is made up of the State Librarian, two Assistant State Librarians, and Budget/Administrative personnel.
The State Library Commission is a 15-member group of citizens and professional librarians, which provides assistance, advice, and counsel to all libraries and all persons interested in the best means of establishing and administering libraries. The Commission advises the Secretary of Cultural Resources and the State Librarian on priorities and policy issues.
The Library Development Section offers a comprehensive program of services including serving as a liaison to libraries in specific counties, providing assistance with grant programs, continuing education events, publications, special programs, surveys, and other State Library activities.
The Library Services Section is responsible for providing library and information resources for North Carolinians to promote knowledge, education, and business. This function is carried out through the Government and Heritage Library (including the Digital Information Management Program) and the Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped.