# State Library of North Carolina

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 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.

## History

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.
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. Open circulation was permitted for a period during the 1870s until the mid 1880s. Until the last decade of the century, the State Library served as the state's only tax-supported library.
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. 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.
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.

## Services

The State Library of North Carolina provides the following services to its patrons:

### North Carolina Digital Collections

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.

### Digitization

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.

### Web and Social Media Archiving

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.

### Center for the Book

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.

### Interlibrary Loan

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.

### LSTA Grants

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.

### NC LIVE

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.

### NCpedia

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.

### North Carolina State Publications Clearinghouse

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.

### Public Librarian Certification

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.