Viewing entries by Lisa Gregory

Additional Issues of The Front Page from 1987-1996 Now Online

Black and white image of June 10, 1994 issue of The Front Page with photographs of the Pride parade.

In honor of Pride Month we’re happy to announce additional issues of The Front Page are now online. These issues date from 1987-1996 and are added to issues already available from 1979-1986.

A Raleigh newspaper by and for the LGBTQ+ community, The Front Page covered national and local news. The paper’s tagline, “Celebrate – Active – Educate!,” reflects reporting on local social gatherings, issues that inspired action, and national and local news. Headlines are alternatively devastating and uplifting with coverage of hate crimes, discrimination, and the AIDS epidemic as well as community support, political victories, and legal triumphs.

Each June the paper covers Pride Month events. Parades, rallies, and festivals all celebrate the community amd commemorate what is broadly considered the seminal Pride Month event – a parade on June 28, 1970 on the 1-year anniversary of the Stonewall Uprising.

The paper has been added with kind permission from the publishers and thanks to efforts by staff at the libraries at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte and Duke University. Click here to view the entire run of The Front Page.


Issues of the Bryson City Times and Smoky Mountain Times Document “Lady Mayors” and More

Black and white article text and photo of adult in glasses with checkered dress looking down at paperwork on a desk or table
From the September 21, 1967 Smoky Mountain Times

Recently added to DigitalNC are issues of the Bryson City Times (1895-1938, 1940-1945) and the Smoky Mountain Times (1947-1984, with 1963-1984 being the most complete). Fontana Regional Library and Western Carolina University are the two partners who requested that these papers be added.

Published in Swain County, the Times includes local news items related to urban development, social life, businesses, sports, relgious organizations, crime, and elections. Issues from the late 1960s – 1970s document the election of “lady mayor” Ellen Hyams. Longtime secretary at the local bank, Hyams was unanimously elected mayor by the local Board of Aldermen in September 1967. This happened right after her husband – who was serving as mayor at the time – passed away. Hyams went on to serve a second term when she was elected by a margin of 6 votes in the 1971 election.

Hyams wasn’t the first woman who wasn’t initially elected Bryson City mayor by popular vote. In the mid-1940s, Mary Moody, who was married to Mayor Bill Moody, stepped in to his position when he left to serve during World War II.

You can view all of the issues we have of the Bryson City Times and the Smoky Mountain Times via their newspaper title page.


Lena Martin Photo Collection along with Wide Variety of Items Added from Edgecombe County Memorial Library

black and white photograph of a snowy downtown with adults sitting in a boat drawn by two horses
“A Boat Put in Service”https://lib.digitalnc.org/record/242258

Photos, genealogical research, and a scrapbook make up this latest batch from Edgecombe County Memorial Library. The images were scanned by the library’s staff, who requested they be added to DigitalNC.

Over 500 loose photos of Edgecombe County document people, town scenes, architecture, views of the Tar River, the tobacco industry, and notable events. There are some really compelling 19th century images, including a bird’s eye view of Tarboro, Princeville during one of the Tar River floods, and the burning of the Bryan House Hotel.

The Lena Martin Pennington photo collection is an additional 384 photos of Edgecombe County dating from the late 1800s-early 1900s. Almost all of the photos were annotated by Pennington with brief descriptions.

Here are some additional items in this batch:

You can view all of the items Edgecombe County Memorial Library has shared on DigitalNC through their contributor page.


Additional Issues of the Hyde County Herald, 1939-1945, Discuss Lake Mattamuskeet, World War II

Sepia colored masthead Hyde County HeraldAdditional issues of the Hyde County Herald, published out of Swan Quarter, are now available on DigitalNC. These were provided by the Outer Banks History Center and scanned at our Elizabeth City office. Dating from 1939-1945, they join later issues from 1948-1957 which were already shared online thanks to the efforts of staff at Wilson Special Collections Library for the National Digital Newspaper Program

Sepia colored photograph showing lake, shoreline with trees, hotel buildingsOne frequently mentioned Hyde County location is Lake Mattamuskeet, the largest natural freshwater lake in the state. In 1934 it was established as a National Wildlife Refuge stewarded by the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service and it remains a crucial refuge for birds and other wildlife. The Herald talks about the importance of the lake and its wildlife for tourism and the ecosystem. 

During the war years the paper turns to local efforts to support the troops as well as news items about Hyde County residents fighting in the war. The investments in the Naval Auxiliary Air Station at Manteo and facilities at a naval base on Ocracoke show the war’s financial and developmental impact on the coast.

You can view all of the issues of the Hyde County Herald that we have available here. All items we’ve scanned for the Outer Banks History Center are available through their contributor page. Everything we have about Hyde County can be found on the Hyde County page.


“Fill In” Issues of the Tyrrell Tribune from 1941 Represent Complete Run

Sepia colored masthead Tyrrell TribuneThanks to the staff at the Outer Banks History Center, we now have a complete run of the 1941 Tyrrell Tribune available online. These papers were scanned at our office in Elizabeth City. 

thumbnail images of sepia and greyscale newspaper front pages

Search results showing the 1941 front pages let you easily see which issues are from microfilm and which from print.

North Carolina has an astounding amount of newspaper on microfilm thanks to efforts of the State Archives, newspaper publishers, local libraries, and other cultural heritage institutions. One thing we really love to do is use DigitalNC to join together microfilmed issues with print issues that have never been microfilmed. The Tyrrell Tribune is one of these cases.

For us, digitizing from microfilm is more cost-effective than digitizing from print. In addition, many papers that were microfilmed were disposed of when organizations were unable to afford storage and care. Microfilmed copies may be the only versions still available. However, there are cases where print issues held by our partners fill in for what was never microfilmed and the 1941 Tyrrell Tribune is a great example.

Published out of Columbia, N.C., the Tribune covers news about local government, coastal industry, agriculture, and events. You can see all of the issues that we have available from the Tribune here. All items we’ve scanned for the Outer Banks History Center are available through their contributor page. Everything we have about Tyrrell County can be found on the Tyrrell County page.


Issues of the State Port Pilot from 1950-1962 now Online Thanks to the Southport Historical Society

Top portion of the front page of the November 15, 1961 issue of the State Port Pilot.

This November 15, 1961 front page of The State Port Pilot has a picture of the catch from a local fishing trip and an image of a Kingtown Community Directory sign that lists the names of Kingtown N.C. residents.

Issues of The State Port Pilot newspaper dating from 1950-1962 have been added to DigitalNC.org thanks to funding provided by the Southport Historical Society. These join issues from 1935-1949. 

The State Port Pilot, “a good newspaper in a good community,” documents Brunswick County NC life. Agriculture (especially tobacco) and fishing are frequent front page topics during this time period, and there are “local catch” photos at least every month. Front page news often includes information about local development, such as the construction of the Sunny Point army depot. You will also find coverage of some of the county’s most devastating events of this timer period, including Hurricane Hazel in 1954, and a National Airlines plane crash that killed 34 people in 1960. 

Black and white head shot of older white man in suit jacket with very short hair next to headline "Man Who Started State Port Pilot Passes Saturday"On the front page of issues from through April 1957 you’ll find a regular column entitled “Our Roving Reporter.” This column was written by W. B. Keziah, also known as Bill Keziah, and it was published right up until his death. According to his obituary Keziah was the newspaper’s founder who transitioned to a local reporter known for his commentary and deep love for Brunswich County. Keziah’s columns include everything from the blooming of local camellias, to visits from state and local dignitaries, to gossip, to little-known county and town history. He was a native of Waxhaw and, as a deaf individual, had attended the NC School for the Deaf in Morganton. Numerous comments about his contributions to the county can be found in issues of the Pilot published around the time of his passing.

You can view all of the issues of the State Port Pilot on the newspaper title page


Scanners and Content Management Systems in North Carolina Cultural Heritage Organizations

three adults sitting around a table; one with white gloves sits behind a laptop near an open scanner while the other two look on
An NCDHC staff member works with two individuals during an on-site scanning event.
  • This post shares information about scanners and content management or online platforms used by some North Carolina cultural heritage organizations.
  • The lists are current as of this post and they are not exhaustive.
  • For more information, get in touch with us.

People frequently ask us to recommend digitization equipment as well as content management systems* or ways to display their files online.  To help connect more people to their peers, we sent our partners a survey asking them the following:

  • List the make and model of any equipment you have that scans print materials, photographs, slides, and/or negatives.
  • What local or remotely hosted software does your organization use to keep track of and/or share your digital images?

Thanks to the 45 institutions who responded, we now have a great list on hand. If you contact us we can connect you directly with those who said they’d be happy to share experiences and information. 

Keep reading for lists of all of the equipment and software mentioned listed in alphabetical order. If you work in a cultural heritage organization in NC and don’t see your digitization equipment and/or system mentioned below, leave a comment and we will add it.

*A content management system is software that will store and organize files, usually with functionality that helps people make use of the files like search, online display, etc.

Here’s the list of platforms mentioned:

Content Management Systems / Online Platforms

  • Alma Digital/ Primo VE
  • CONTENTdm
  • Cumulus
  • DigitalNC (which uses TIND, WordPress, and Open ONI)
  • DSpace**
  • Drupal
  • Ex Libris Alma Digital
  • Fedora + Hyrax**
  • Flickr
  • Internet Archive
  • Islandora
  • JSTOR Forum
  • KeepThinking Qi**
  • Laserfishe
  • LibGuides
  • Omeka
  • Pass It Down
  • Past Perfect
  • PTFS Knowvation
  • Quartex**
  • Re:discovery Proficio
  • WordPress

** Not represented in the survey responses but we know folks who use these.

Comments: Some of these are hosted by vendors; others are hosted by the organization. There are also sites listed here that might not be considered content management systems but that organizations use for online sharing. This list does not include social media sites where files might be shared, like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter. It also doesn’t get into details for those who have built their own systems (typically very well-resourced institutions). If you’d like some more guidance about choosing, check out this post: What Should You Do With Your Scanned Photos?

Here’s the list of equipment mentioned:

Flatbed Scanners

  • Epson 10000XL, 11000XL, 12000XL
  • Epson DS-50000
  • Epson Perfection V19, V39, V370, V550
  • Epson Perfection V600, V700, V800
  • HP Scanjet G4050
  • HP ScanJetPro 2500 f1

Large Format Sheet-fed Scanners

  • HP DesignJet T2500

Overhead Scanners / Book Scanners

  • Bookeye 3, 5
  • Czur ET18 Pro
  • Fujitsu ScanSnap 600
  • ST600 Book Scanner
  • Zeutschel OS 12000 A1, Q1

Overhead Camera Systems

  • Phase One iXH 100MP camera + digital back
  • Sony A7R IV camera with mount

Negative and Slide Scanners

  • Hasselblad Flextight X5
  • Nikon Super CoolScan 9000 ED
  • PowerSlide 5000
  • ZONOZ FS-3 22MP All-in-1 Film & Slide Converter Scanner w/Speed-Load Adapters for 35mm

Microfilm Scanners

  • ST ViewScan 3, 4

Multi-Function Devices

  • Epson-WF-3540
  • Hewlett Packard Color LaserJet M476 copier with scanner
  • HP Officejet Pro X576dw
  • Konica Minolta bizhub 227 copier/scanner
  • Kyocera Taskalfa 4053ci
  • Savin IM 2500, MP 2004ex
  • Sharp MX-4071, MX-C304W
  • TASKalfa 3051ci
  • Xerox Documate 3220 desktop scanner
  • Xerox Workcentre 6655i, 7535

Comments: Some of these are staff use, some are available to the public, and some serve both groups. If you’re interested in what we use, take a look at this page: Scanning and Digitization Equipment


Additional Issues of the Chowan Herald, 1983-2001, now on DigitalNC

Black and white clipping of masthead and article about Y2K glitches from January 5, 2000 Chowan Herald front page

Shepard-Pruden Memorial Library in Edenton has funded digitization of an additional 19 years of the Chowan Herald. This new content means that you can now search the entire run from the first issue in 1934 through June 2001. 

The new issues from 1983-2001 cover local political and town government news, tourism, business and residential development in the area, local events and community organizations, crime and local disasters. One of the larger construction projects represented in this timespan is the replacement Albemarle Sound Bridge. You can see news about the conception, construction, and dedication of the bridge (including an article on the partial collapse during construction which delayed its completion). (Here’s an article about the original bridge, which you can read about through earlier issues of the Herald.)

You can search and browse the entire run of The Chowan Herald on its landing page.  Other materials related to Chowan County that are available on our site, including newspapers, city directories, and more, can be searched and browsed on the county landing page.


Issues of The Front Page 1979-1986, “Newspaper for North Carolina’s Gay Community,” Now Online

The Front Page first page with masthead, headline Historic March Peaks Gay Pride Week, and photo of adults holding banner "Triangle Lesbian & Gay Pride"The first 8 years of The Front Page newspaper, from 1979-1986, are now on DigitalNC. The Front Page was published in Raleigh for twenty-six years covering “news and happenings of interest to gay people.”  The paper covered national and local news impacting and of interest to the LGBTQ+ community. There are ads for local businesses that were safe spaces for LGBTQ+ individuals, and a community calendar listed events. There’s also a Q&A column where letters from readers all over the state wrote in with problems or questions to recieve a broad spectrum of personal advice. 

Q-Notes, a prominent Charlotte area LGBTQ+ newspaper and the one Front Page merged with in 2006, published a retrospective of The Front Page and an interview with the Page‘s publisher Jim Baxter in the July 29, 2006 issue. Baxter penned an article in IndyWeek shortly after the paper’s final issue, and it describes parts of his career and the history of Front Page

The paper has been added with kind permission from the publishers and thanks to efforts by staff at the libraries at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte and Duke University. Digitization of this paper was funded by an IDEA Action Grant from UNC-Chapel Hill Libraries. Archived issues of Q-notes are available from our site, and you can view more current content at their site.


Introducing our New Satellite Location at Elizabeth City State University

White state of NC outline on blue background with the words North Carolina Digital Heritage Center EastSince 1751, North Carolina newspapers have been one of the most valuable resources for researching our state’s history. They are also one of the most prolific, and demand for newspaper digitization is an area where we struggle even making a dent.

Thanks to funding from the State Library of North Carolina and a new partnership with G. R. Little Library at Elizabeth City State University, that dent just got a little bigger. ECSU is now home to our first satellite location, and the staff there are focused on print newspaper digitization.

In addition to meeting demand, setting up a satellite location in the eastern part of the state will diminish travel time for eastern partners interested in getting papers from their collections online. All materials will be scanned on a new large format scanner by the digitization technicians at ECSU. Then, after the images have metadata, they’ll be sent to Chapel Hill where they’ll be uploaded to the newspaper site on our page.

Our ECSU colleagues are currently working on papers from Northampton and Bertie counties. We’ll be working with our easternmost partners for more materials to scan in the coming months.

Three adults in face masks look at computer screen near very large scanner, with several other adults in the background.

Zaina Goggins, Vicky Tillett, and Barry Ward work with a new scanner at ECSU Libraries.


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