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A Sneak Peak at the Newly Available Sandhills Community College Student Newspaper!

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campuspublications

Thanks to our partners at Sandhills Community College, we are excited to announce that issues from the Sandhills Community College’s student newspaper are now available on DigitalNC. Spanning 1967 to 1982, this addition of the Sandhills Community College Student Newspaper is filled with fun titles, student news, and music reviews across 101 issues of this newly digitized student publication.

An illustration for the newspaper's front page that features the title "Spartan Reflector" in bubble letters above a bird with outstretched wings. A man and woman holding an issues of a newspaper are illustrated on both sides of the title.
A student illustration done for the The Spartan Reflector, October 10, 1973

Across the 18 years of the Sandhills Community College Student Newspaper now available on DigitalNC, the publication’s name changed quite a few times. While titles like The Spartan Reflector (Sept. 1971 – Jan. 1974), The Sandhills Reflector (May 1974 – May 1977), and SCC Miscellanea (Sept. 1978 – Mar. 1982) may have enjoyed the longest run time, other titles like True Grit (Dec. 1969) and The Looking Glass (May 1970 – Feb. 1971) snuck their way into the front-page spotlight – even if just for an issue or two! Student publishers also showed off their creativity with fun illustrations to accompany some of these titles.

A clip of text featuring a heading that says "Fleetwood Mac - Rumours", followed by a body of text that starts with the emphatic sentence "AAAALLLL-RIIIIIIGHT!!!!!!!"
A student’s first words about Fleetwood Mac’s Rumours The Sandhills Reflector, February 24, 1977

Although student journalists at Sandhills Community College may have changed the title of this paper quite a few times, one thing they did not waver in was their ear for good music. Across years of different titles, student newspaper staff, and music genres, columnists never failed to deliver excellent reviews on some of the most anticipated albums of the time. These campus music critics kept busy – from reviewing what would become Stevie Wonder’s best-selling album, Songs in the Key of Life (1976), to assuring readers that “the vocals are even tolerable” on Bob Dylan’s Slow Train Coming (1979), to being just as excited about Fleetwood Mac’s Rumours (1977) as a lot of us still are today.

An illustration for the newspaper's music section that includes a sketch of a man's head with a musical staff and notes flowing into one of his ears. On the other side of his head the words "stick this in your ear" is written in bubble letters, with the word "this" being especially emphasized.
Illustration for the music section SCC Miscellanea, November 1, 1978

Students’ great taste and interest in music comes as no surprise, however, when browsing through countless stories in the Sandhills Community College Student Newspaper that show the students’ commitment, involvement, and patronage of the arts. The paper’s “Artist of the Month” series highlights the young students and aspiring artists at Sandhills Community College. Also recorded in the paper are stories about campus events in the arts, such as the week-long Sandhills Community College Fine Arts Festival and the Art Department’s annual Art Week. Literary arts also had a significant impact on the culture at Sandhills Community College, and entire pages dedicated to student poetry can be found throughout the Sandhills Community College Student Newspaper.

More information about our partner, Sandhills Community College, can be found here. 

Visitors can view issues of the Sandhills Community College Student Newspaper here.

More materials, including minutes, catalogs, and yearbooks can be found on Sandhills Community College’s contributor page linked here.  

To browse our entire collection of student newspapers, select the “Student Papers” filter on our “Newspaper Titles” search page here.

Call for Nominations – Microfilmed Newspaper Digitization 2024-2025

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news newspapers

Black and white front page of the State Port Pilot 08-22-1962

It’s time for our annual round of microfilmed newspaper digitization! As in previous years, we’re asking cultural heritage institutions in North Carolina to nominate papers from their communities to be digitized. We’re especially interested in:

  • newspapers covering underrepresented regions or communities, and
  • newspapers that are not currently available in digital form elsewhere online.

If you’re interested in nominating a paper and you work at a cultural heritage institution that qualifies as a partner, here’s what to do:

  • Check out our criteria for selecting newspapers, listed below.
  • Verify that the newspaper you’d like to see digitized exists on microfilm*. Email us (digitalnc@unc.edu) if you’re not sure.
  • Be prepared to talk with the rights holder(s) to gain written permission to digitize the paper and share it online. We can give you advice on this part, if needed.
  • Review the Criteria for Selecting Newspapers to Digitize from Microfilm listed below.
  • Fill out the nomination form. 

Nominations will be taken on an ongoing basis, however don’t wait! We typically get many more requests than we can accommodate. Please contact us at digitalnc@unc.edu with questions. We’re looking forward to hearing from you.

Criteria for Selecting Newspapers to Digitize from Microfilm

Titles to be digitized will be selected using the following criteria:

  • Does the newspaper document traditionally underrepresented regions or communities?
  • Does the newspaper include significant coverage of the local community or largely syndicated content?
  • Does the newspaper come from an area of the state that has little representation on DigitalNC? (Titles that have not previously been digitized will be given priority. Here’s a title list and a map showing coverage.)
  • Is the institution willing to obtain permission from the current publisher or rights holder(s) to digitize issues and make them freely available online?

* What about print newspapers? These are much more costly to scan – we only work with a very limited number. Information about capacity for print newspapers can be found here.

New Issues of UNC Charlotte’s Student Newspaper Available Now

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campuspublications newspapers

Newspaper clipping featuring an illustration of a mushroom cloud above a building with text it saying "What Nuclear War Would Mean For You"
The Carolina Journal, October 5, 1981

Thanks to our partners at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, we are excited to announce a new batch of student newspapers available online. Spanning from June 1981 to April 1982, these 49 freshly digitized issues of The Carolina Journal are a great addition to our digital collection of this student newspaper. With this new addition, 629 issues from 1947 to 1982 are now available on DigitalNC. 

Although our digital collection of The Carolina Journal spans across times of intense change, the curiosity, creativity, and ambition of students at UNC Charlotte remain a timeless fixture across 35 years of issues from this student newspaper. Our new batch from the ‘81-‘82 school year reflects how students made sense of the world around them and fought for a better future during a time when rekindled Cold War tensions stoked the fear of nuclear war and cuts to the federal education budget threatened to slash aid for college students.

Newspaper clipping of a headline reading, "Free Beer Draws Large Crowd For Ivory"
The Carolina Journal, November 19, 1981

Amongst the insightful headlines, op-eds, and cartoons that feature students’ opinions on the issues of nuclear war and education budget cuts, student newspaper staff also highlight the accomplishments and fun shared by students at UNC Charlotte. From snow day parties and free beer at concerts to the basketball team’s spectacular season start and the debate team’s award-winning performance, The Carolina Journal captures students’ commitment to find moments of fun and reasons to celebrate even when faced with uncertain times.

Newspaper clipping that includes a picture of several students hugging and headline that reads, "Snow Causes Long Party"
The Carolina Journal, January 18, 1982

Visitors can view more issues of The Carolina Journal here.

More materials, including photographs, catalogs, yearbooks, and directories can be found on the University of North Carolina at Charlotte’s contributor page here. 

 More information about the University of North Carolina at Charlotte can be found on their website available here.

To browse our entire collection of student newspapers, select the “Student Papers” filter on our “Newspaper Titles” search page linked here.


Jump for Joy! Additional Yearbooks from North Carolina’s First Farm Life School on DigitalNC!

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yearbooks

Thanks to our partner, New Bern-Craven County Public Library, a batch containing 14 yearbooks from Craven County Farm Life School and West Craven High School are now available on DigitalNC.

Image of a large brick building.
The Mill Stream [1940]

The Craven County Farm Life School was the first to be established in the state after the Farm Life School law was passed by the North Carolina State Legislature in March 1911. Though growth was slow at first, the school soon saw a rapid increase in their student enrollment. By 1918, they outgrew their one brick building which served as a boys’ and girls’ dormitory as well as an administration building. A five room administration building was built using money borrowed from state building funds which were paid off using county funds. The new building, however, appears to not have alleviated the space issue at all. Less than 12 months later, four rooms were added to one of the buildings. Then, in 1920, a $100,000 bond issue was made by Craven County for the building of the boys’ dormitory.

Five individuals dressed in 1950s cheerleading outfits jumping with their hands up. Their shirts have a V on the front. Caption under the image reads: Barbara Ann Smith, Beth Taylor, Sandra Hicks, Lois Ann Sutton, Linda Butler.
Millstream [1954]

In the 1921-1922 school term, the school opened with 131 students enrolled and the following equipment: a brick dormitory for girls, boys dormitory, administration building, a dairy, wash house for girls, farmer’s cottage, barn, and stock buildings. In the 1922 yearbook, which can be viewed here, the writers point out that the students used to be only from the town and boarders, but students began coming from twelve miles away in trucks. Over the years, the curriculum shifted from agriculture to general high school education and by 1941 students were no longer required to reside on campus and instead commuted from the surrounding area. In 1971, the Craven County Farm Life School was closed and Vanceboro students began attending West Craven High School.

Three individuals sitting next to each other.
Aquila [1972]

To learn more about the New Bern-Craven County Public Library, visit their website here.

To view more materials from the New Bern-Craven County Public Library, visit their contributor page here.

To view more yearbooks from across North Carolina, view our North Carolina Yearbooks collection here.

Information about the Craven County Farm Life School was taken from their 1922 yearbook and New Bern Sun Journal article, “Farm Life School marks 100 years of education in Vanceboro.“

Moore County Hounds Leap Online!

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photos scrapbooks

A photo of several suited figures on horseback looking at the camera. Behind them, a group of visitors sit on stands.
The winning hunt team of Weymouth’s First Hunter Trials: Dan Boyd, Tiny Whittlesy, and Alex Alexander.

Thanks to our new partners at the Weymouth Center for the Arts & Humanities, DigitalNC is proud to announce that a wonderful collection of equestrian history is now available online for the first time. The record? An absolutely stunning photographic portfolio chronicling the early days of the Moore County Hounds, the oldest pack of foxhounds and foxhunters registered in North Carolina. The organization was founded by James and Jack Boyd, longtime residents of Moore County, all the way back in 1914, and the portfolio records the organizations accolades, meets, and activities over the breadth of the twenty first century.

A photo of a gentleman on horseback clearing a jump.
Frank Capot on “Diamont” winning at a Dublin tournament in 1958.

But this monumental portfolio doesn’t just record the oldest foxhunting organization in the state in breathtaking photography, it also contains an amazing collection of vintage horse names! Identifications of both horse and rider are noted next to each image, preserving some truly fantastic equestrian appellations for posterity. Particular gems include “Hush Puppy,” “Moon Glow,” “Bumper Pass,” and “Ten Flags.” Dog lovers need not despair, however, as each hound-dog’s name has also been recorded in the annals of the scrapbook, with virtuous (and perhaps aspirational) titles such as “Vitality,” and “Energy.”

Janet Carter posing with the champion hound-dog "Wilful"
Janet Carter posing with her champion hound-dog, “Wilful”

Thanks again to our new partners at the Weymouth Center for making this collection of history available online. You can find the Moore County Hounds portfolio online now at DigitalNC here. Interested in learning more about the Weymouth Center? You can visit their partner page online at DigitalNC here, or find their website here.

Cowboy Hero Hopalong Cassidy Seen at North Carolina Dairy in Latest Batch

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memorabilia photos

Metal game pieces painted in yellow, green, blue, and red depicting people in cowboy hats riding horses.
Hopalong Cassidy Game Pieces, 1950

Thanks to our partner, Alamance Community College, batches containing over 70 new records featuring Melville Dairy materials, Hopalong Cassidy ephemera, livestock equipment, ritual objects, and more are now available on DigitalNC.

Hopalong Cassidy is a fictional character created by Clarence E. Mulford who was brought to life by actor William Boyd who appeared as the character in 66 movies between 1935 and 1943. When television started to become popular in the late 1940s, Hopalong Cassidy became the first cowboy hero series with Boyd making 106 television shows and 104 radio shows.

Individual wearing a cowboy hat and boots, leather jacket, and a gun holstered at their hip standing in front of a sign with their face and a milk carton. The sign text reads: Hoppy's Favorite. Melville Milk.
Hopalong Cassidy Outside Melville Dairy, circa 1950s

Unlike Mulford’s books, Boyd portrayed the character as a clean living cowboy who didn’t smoke, drink, curse, or gamble. The cowboy’s popularity amongst children’s Western heroes allowed Boyd to become “King of Cowboy Merchandisers.” He endorsed over 2,000 items, several of which can be seen in this batch, including a lunchbox, thermos, shirt, commemorative plates, and even a board game!

3D object. Delivery truck with a person dressed in a delivery outfit holding a tray holding milk bottles.
Melville All Star Dairy Delivery Truck with Delivery Person Toy

To learn more about Alamance Community College, visit their website here.

To view more materials from Alamance Community College, visit their contributor page here.

To view more materials from The Scott Family Collection, view our exhibit here.

Information about Hopalong Cassidy and William Boyd was gathered from the Oklahoma Historical Society’s encyclopedia entry linked here.

Issues of The Blowing Rocket, 1932-1948, Fill in Gaps Thanks to Partnership Project

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newspapers

Portion of color front page of Volume 1, Issue 1 of The Blowing Rocket with masthead, articles, and image of riders on horses with dogs.

Most of the newspaper issues available on DigitalNC are digitized from microfilm. While runs can be very comprehensive, there are often missed issues. We love it when those missed issues get filled in so we were especially excited when staff at Appalachian State University’s library offered to gather and digitize fill-in issues of Blowing Rock’s wonderfully named Blowing Rocket newspaper.

Issues were provided for digitization from App State, Blowing Rock Community Library, Blowing Rock Historical Society, and Watauga County Historical Society. You can easily see the new issues in this search, as they are in full color. The issues include the first issue of the paper, shown above, and scattered issues through 1948. You can view all of the newspapers available on our site at the newspapers home page.

Gibsonville Public Library Project Gathers Black History From Gibsonville Area

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memorabilia moving images photos

Thanks to our newest partner, Gibsonville Public Library, a batch of materials from their project, “Gathering a Community History” are now available on DigitalNC as part of our latest exhibit Gathering Black History in Gibsonville. The materials in the batch are from the project’s first year and include a plethora of photographs from Black churches in the Gibsonville area, oral history interview videos (with transcripts!) with members of the Gibsonville community, as well as anniversary booklets from Faith Baptist Church and McLeansville First Baptist Church

Two individuals dressed up standing next to one another. Behind them is a green field and brick building off in the distance. To their back left is a white building with brick base. To their back right is a sign with black letters that in-part reads: St. James [?] [?] Church.
Service After Church

In the fall of 2023, the Gibsonville Public Library launched a project entitled “Gathering a Community History.” This project, sparked by a community conversation with members of the Faith Baptist Church (FBC), was conducted in partnership with FBC, the Gibsonville Museum and Historical Society, and the members and leadership of many other Black churches in the Gibsonville area.

Individuals dressed in mint green dresses (and one individual in the very back with a mint green polo) pose for a photograph in front of a white building.
St. James’ Choir

After being awarded a grant from the State Library made possible in part by the Institute of Museum and Library Services, the library purchased the technology needed to safely scan photos and documents as well as recording equipment for collecting oral histories. They also were able to hire a part-time research assistant who worked closely with area churches, individuals, and organizations to record interviews and digitize documents and photos. The first year of the project yielded a collection of 86 photographs, video interviews, transcriptions, and other materials—which can be viewed in our latest batch. This is just a starting point however for a continued community effort to gather and share the history of the Black community in the Gibsonville area.

To learn more about Gibsonville Public Library, visit their website here.

To view more oral histories from across North Carolina, view our Sights and Sounds Collection linked here.

To view more exhibits from across North Carolina, take a look at our exhibits page linked here.

Lower Cape Fear Historical Society Bulletins from 1957-2014 Are Full of Wilmington-Area Genealogical and Historical Information

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memorabilia

Portion of Bulletin front page with article title "Old Town Plantation Archaeological Project" below masthead and two black and white photos of individuals bent over and working in dirt.
Front page of the May 1969 issue of the Bulletin.

The Lower Cape Fear Historical Society, Inc. has shared over 50 years’ worth of their bulletins on DigitalNC. If you are a genealogist or historian interested in Wilmington and the surrounding area, these documents have many in-depth articles of interest. Many focus on particular individuals or families. There are also articles about historical events and the Society’s efforts at historic preservation of properties and houses. These publications are full-text searchable.

You can learn more about the Society on their website or by visiting their location in the Latimer House in Wilmington.

New Methodist University Materials Preserve the History of Carolina College and More

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campuspublications memorabilia newspapers

Our partners at Methodist University in Fayetteville, N.C. have contributed a large addition to their pre-existing collection on DigitalNC, and we are thrilled to make it available on the site! The first set of materials is related to Carolina College, a Methodist college for women that operated from 1912-1926 in Maxton, N.C. After the closure of the Carolina Military Academy, which operated at the former site of Carolina College, the Carolina College Alumni Association (CCAA) began meeting at Methodist University. Methodist University, which opened in Fayetteville in 1960, also became the home of the Carolina College archives when alumni entrusted their documents to the university’s archives. This most recent batch includes Carolina College’s original bond note, as well as several carefully-preserved scrapbooks containing event programs and photographs like the one below. See all of the Carolina College records on our site here and read more about Methodist University’s Carolina College collection on their website.

Carolina College students, 1912-1913.

Also included in this addition are 417 issues of the Methodist University student newspaper, spanning 1961 to 2015. These pages record nearly the entirety of the institution’s history and provide insight into issues affecting the student body almost up to the present day. Reactions to historical events and national news are also documented in the newspaper, such as in the following excerpted tribute to President John F. Kennedy after his assassination on November 22, 1963, written by religion and philosophy professor Dr. Samuel J. Womack.

Dec. 1, 1963 page 2.

Visitors to the site can peruse the Methodist University student newspaper here. View all of our materials from Methodist University at their contributor page here and read more about the university’s history on their website.

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This blog is maintained by the staff of the North Carolina Digital Heritage Center and features the latest news and highlights from the collections at DigitalNC, an online library of primary sources from organizations across North Carolina.

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