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Call for Nominations – Microfilmed Newspaper Digitization 2025-2026

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news newspapers

Front page of The Raleigh Independent's December 18, 1920 issue.
The Raleigh Independent, December 18, 1920.

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:

  • Review the Criteria for Selecting Newspapers to Digitize from Microfilm 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.
  • 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:

A notice to subscribers of The Raleigh Independent featured in the December 18, 1920 issue. The text reads: All subscribers who have not paid their renewals will be discontinued Jan. 1, 1921.
The Raleigh Independent, December 18, 1920, page 1. Subscriber notice.
  • 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? (For a quick view at our current representation, visit our newspaper collection page and select “View on Map” directly to the right of the “Browse Newspaper Titles” section)
  • 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.

A Plethora of New Materials Pull Into the DigitalNC Station

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memorabilia newspapers photos yearbooks

Thanks to our partner, Railroad House Historical Association and Museum, three batches chock-full of materials are now available for viewing on DigitalNC. These batches include issues from three Sanford area newspapers—The Sanford News Leader, Central Carolinian, and Lee County Senior High School’s student newspaper—twelve yearbooks from Deep River High School, along with over 180 photographs, postcards, and catalogs that feature automobiles and trains.

Otho A. Corriher's sophomore quote printed in the 1928 Catawba College yearbook. Under Otho A. Corriher's name is a quote that reads: "What shall I do to become known?—Cowley."
Otho A. Corriher’s sophomore quote from Catawba College’s 1928 yearbook.

Among these records are photographs of several automobiles, like this 1916 Stutz Bearcat, owned by O. A. [Otho Alexander, or “Ote”] Corriher. Son of Lotan Alpha Corriher—former textile industrialist, Landis Mayor, and notable patron of Catawba College—Ote became well-known in his own right in for his sense of adventure, service as one of 13 pilots in the Civil Air Patrol in Manteo, North Carolina during World War II, interest and work with planes and automobiles, and a world-class classic car collection.

After the bombing of Pearl Harbor, leveraged his piloting skills to aid in the American war effort after the bombing of Pearl Harbor, Ote applied and was accepted into the Army Air Force’s newly created Civil Air Patrol (CAP) organization. The first CAP base in Manteo patrolled the coast off the Outer Banks known as the “Torpedo Junction.” After the start of World War II, but before America’s entry, the Torpedo Junction became an extremely dangerous area for shipping. German U-Boats, unchallenged, were successfully sinking and damaging vital shipping boats. Often using their personal planes, CAP pilots would fly up and down the coast searching for the German submarines and sailors in destress. In addition, they also apparently conducted sea rescues, towed targets for military training, performed courier service, and help fight forest fires. After serving in CAP from July 1942 to March 1942, he spent three years in the Army until the end of the war.

Image of a 1904 Oldsmobile with a sign propped against the front tire that reads: Curved dash model. 10 H. P. - single cyl. Cost new $650. Owner: O. A. Corriher. Landis, N.C.
Image of a 1910 Mercer with a sign propped against the front tire that reads: O. A. Corriher. Landis, N.C.
Image of a 1917 Pierce Arrow Opera Coupe with a sign propped against the front tire that reads: O. A. Corriher. Landis, N.C.

From left to right: 1904 Oldsmobile, 1910 Mercer, 1917 Pierce Arrow Opera Coupe.

Afterwards, he reluctantly went back to his position as the treasurer for his family’s textile mill. But when Ote wasn’t working at the mill, he would build planes in his basement, convert used military planes he bought into crop dusters, and eventually, he began restoring classic cars. In 1951, Ote and five other car enthusiasts in the state founded the Horseless Carriage Club. The Club, according to an article in the August 4, 1955 issue The Pilot (Southern Pines, N.C.), was for individuals who appreciated and restored classic cars themselves using original, or parts handmade by the restorer. At the time the article was printed, Ote apparently had a collection of 24 classic cars. The six cars attributed to him in this latest batch are likely part of that group.

Image of a 1916 Stutz Bearcat with a sign propped against the front tire that reads: O. A. Corriher. Landis, N.C.
Image of a 1918 Mercer Raceabout with a sign propped against the front tire that reads: O. A. Corriher. Landis, N.C.
Image of a 1921 Rolls Royce with a sign propped against the front tire that reads: O. A. Corriher. Landis, N.C.

From left to right: 1916 Stutz Bearcat, 1918 Mercer Raceabout, 1921 Rolls Royce.

Materials and information about Ote Corriher was gathered from The Salisbury Post‘s December 2017 article linked here, Catawba College’s 1928 yearbook, and August 4, 1955 issue of The Pilot (Vass, N.C.).

To learn more about the Railroad House Historical Association and Museum, visit their website here.

To browse all 400+ materials contributed by the Railroad House Historical Association and Museum on our site, visit their contributor page here.

To view more newspapers or yearbooks from across the state, view our yearbook collection here or newspaper collection here.

New Issues of Elizabeth City Newspapers Now Available on DigitalNC

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newspapers

Thanks to our partner, Museum of the Albemarle, and digitization of materials by Elizabeth City State University, nine issues of The Daily Advance (Elizabeth City, N.C.) from 1944 and 1945 along with a more complete copy of the May 30, 1877 issue of The Economist (Elizabeth City, N.C.) are now available on DigitalNC.

A microfilmed page of a newspaper. On the right side there are several large chunks missing.
The Economist, May 30, 1877, page 3. Old microfilm copy.

Prior to this batch, we did have a microfilmed copy of the May 30, 1877 issue of The Economist (Elizabeth City, N.C.) available online; however, this copy was a bit blurry, and was missing both large chunks primarily from the sides along with the whole fourth page. Though the Museum of the Albemarle’s physical copy of the nearly 150 year old paper was in much better condition than the microfilm, it also wasn’t complete.

Though it feels odd to say, we were fortune in this instance that the microfilmed copy predominately lacked outer edges, while the physical copy had several holes along the fold lines of the paper which omitted information from the middle or center areas of the pages. While the two copies separately were incomplete, the fact that when compared they were uniquely incomplete provided us the opportunity to piece together a more complete copy of the May 30, 1877 issue.

Scan of a physical newspaper page with microfilmed pieces inserted into spots that were previously holes in an effort to create a more complete version of the newspaper page.
The Economist, May 30, 1877, page 3. New, more complete copy.

To create this (mostly) complete copy, we first had to determine for each individual page whether the microfilm or print copy would be better as the base layer. This was based primarily on the completeness and legibility of the page. Then, we evaluated this selected base layer for missing pieces. Once these were inventoried, we looked at the “other” version of the page (the one not selected to use as the base layer) to see if it had sections that were missing from the base. Unfortunately, we couldn’t just layer both versions on top of one another to easily fill in these missing pieces. If the “other” version had the pieces missing from the base layer, we had to individually crop, resize, and orient each of those filler pieces into the base layer, making sure the text lined up between the versions.

To learn more about the Museum of the Albemarle, visit their website here.

To view more materials contributed by Museum of the Albemarle visit their contributor page here.

To view more newspapers from Elizabeth City, visit our Newspaper Collection here.

New Issues of Seven Newspapers Now Available in Latest Batch from Granville County Public Library

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newspapers

Title design of The Deaf Carolinian (Morganton, N.C.).
Title design of The Deaf Carolinian (Morganton, N.C.)

With the help of our partners at Granville County Public Library, we are pleased to announce that new issues from seven different newspaper titles are now available on DigitalNC. This batch of newspapers includes local newspapers, like The Granville Enterprise (Granville, N.C.), school newspapers like The Deaf Carolinian (Morganton, N.C.), and speciality publications like the North Carolina White Ribbon (Greensboro, N.C.) which was published by the Woman’s Christian Temperance Union. Also in this latest batch is a newspaper that is brand new to DigitalNC, the Littleton High School Student Newspaper, which was published under the title The School Visitor (Littleton, N.C.). Be sure to check out these latest additions from Granville County Public Library, which are detailed and linked below!

A poem entitled "Drag the Roads"
Drag the Roads poem in The Granville Enterprise (Oxford, N.C.), March 27, 1914, page 1

These newspapers, along with 11 other newspaper titles contributed by Granville County Public Library, can be found here.

More information about our partner, Granville County Public Library, can be found on their website, linked here.

More materials, including yearbooks, scrapbooks, maps, and ledgers can be found on Granville County Public Library’s contributor page, linked here.

The Ocracoke Observer Makes A Splash Debut On DigitalNC

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newspapers

Ocracoke Observer title design

Thanks to the owners and publishers, we are excited to announce that the Ocracoke Observer (Ocracoke, N.C.) is now available on DigitalNC! This latest addition includes 154 issues, spanning from May 1999 to May 2025. The island newspaper is published monthly from March to December, and covers news about Ocracoke Island and its residents. Featured below is an example of the exciting stories that can be found in the Ocracoke Observer, but DigitalNC visitors should be sure to check out more issues, linked here, to discover more stories making waves across the island.

A story from the March 2021 issue of the Ocracoke Observer (Ocracoke, N.C.). Under the headline "Message in a bottle found on Ocracoke came from Canada", a picture shows an adult standing on the beach holding a small green bottle that has a letter inside.
A front page story from the March 2021 issue of the Ocracoke Observer (Ocracoke, N.C.)

To search through all available issues of the Ocracoke Observer (Ocracoke, N.C.), click here.

Information about the Ocracoke Observer (Ocracoke, N.C.) can be found on their website here.

Gem Festival Comes to Macon County in New Editions of The Franklin Press and The Highlands Maconian

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newspapers

Thanks to our partners at Southwestern Community College and Macon County Public Library, as well as funding from the Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA), we are excited to announce that new editions of The Franklin Press and Highlands Maconian are now available on our website!

A crowded room full of tables and wandering people observing gemstones at the 1966 Macon County Gemboree
A huge turnout at the first annual Macon County Gemboree in July 1966

Nestled in the mountains of western North Carolina along the Appalachian Trail, Franklin is a small town known for its gorgeous waterfalls and gem mines. These issues, dating from 1964 to 1974, cover a range of topics, including local elections, FFA competition scores, and local weather.

Two smiling teenagers stand side by side holding a trophy, ring, and flowers. On the left is Miss Ruth Nolen who is presenting the spoils of victory from the "Miss Ruby" contest to Miss Elaine Reece who is standing on the right.
Miss Ruth Nolen (left), winner of last year’s “Miss Ruby” contest, presents the new victor, Miss Elaine Reece (right), with a trophy, ring, and flowers

Taking advantage of the town’s precious stone industry, the Franklin Chamber of Commerce created the Macon County Gemboree as a way to boost tourism. The event first ran from Thursday, July 21 to Sunday, July 24, 1966, complete with a gem and mineral show, guest lecturers, and a “Miss Ruby” contest. The first Gemboree was a roaring success for the “Gem Capital of the World,” with over 2,500 people in attendance. Dealers and visitors traveled from across the country to attend the event, where they indulged in lectures and sparkling exhibitions. According to the July 28, 1966, edition of The Franklin Press and Highlands Maconian, the dealers estimated that the value of all gemstones on display was over four million dollars, or almost forty million dollars in today’s economy.

The event is still held to this day, with the next Macon County Gemboree slated for July 25-27, 2025.

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

For more information about Macon County Public Library, visit their website.

To browse more newspapers from across the state, view our newspaper collection here.

Hidden Object Puzzles Reveal More Than the History They Depict in New Issues of The Taylorsville Times

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newspapers

Masthead for The Taylorsville Times. Below the newspaper title is written: [Numb]er 34. Taylorsville, North Carolina, Thursday, August 24, 1933. $1.00 per year.

Thanks to funding from our partner, Alexander County Library, over 3,000 issues of The Taylorsville Times (Taylorsville, N.C.) spanning from 1927 to 1996 are now available to peruse on DigitalNC. This weekly newspaper has focused on informing readers of local, national, and global news for around a century. Around the 1920s, The Mountain Scout and Taylorsville Times newspapers merged to form The Taylorsville Times and Mountain Scout. The merged paper published until August of 1933, when “Mountain Scout” was removed from its name. Since then, the paper has continued to publish under The Taylorsville Times title.

The earliest issues from this batch from 1927 and 1928 provide a look into the period’s perspective of American history through short hidden object puzzles they call “American History Puzzle Picture.” The puzzle is formatted with a drawing depicting a critical or well-known event related to American history, a short description of said event, and the hidden object the player needs to find. Though published as a simple, educational puzzle, these snippets provide a complex gleam into America’s period of conformist nationalism by showing who and what was considered pivotal in the late 1920s; interpretations of how people and places looked, language usage, etc. Take a look at and try finding the hidden objects in the—expected and, some not—depictions of American history below.

American History Puzzle Picture. Image depicting De Soto being buried beneath the Mississippi River. Text below the image reads: "The body of De Soto being buried beneath the waters of the Mississippi which he discovered in 1541. Because of the Indians they buried him during the middle of night. Find an Indian."
American History Puzzle Picture. Image depicting Patrick Henry addressing the Virginia assembly. There are multiple people seated in the room and one individual at a podium with their hand up towards Patrick Henry (only partially visible). Text under the image reads: "Patrick Henry making the address before the Virginia assembly. A bold defiance against the tyrancy of King George III, in which he said 'I know not what course others may take, but as for me, give me liberty or give me death.' Find the face of King George."
American History Puzzle Picture. Image depicting George Washington standing next to a field with soldiers lined up. Behind Washington (left side of the image) there is a horse and two people. Text under the image reads: "George Washington made commander in chief of the American army. Find a portrait of Washington."
American History Puzzle Picture. Image depicting a stage coach with people standing up, facing the back of the coach with guns in their hands pointed at bandits on horses chasing the coach. Text below the image reads: "A stage coach holdup. Find the bandit leader."
American History Puzzle Picture. Image depicting individuals surrounding a railroad track that has a train with people on it. in the bottom left of the image is an individual sitting on a wood beam that has a metal protrusion sticking up. Text under the image reads: "Driving the golden spike connecting the East and West at Ogden, Utah (1869). May 10. Find the modern train."
American History Puzzle Picture. Image depicting steamboat on a river. Two individuals stand on a dock looking out at the steamboat on a river. Text below the image reads: "The successful steamboat invented by Robert Fulton as it steamed up the Hudson River from New York to Albany, in the year 1867. Find the inventor."
American History Puzzle Picture. Image depicting soldiers walking through a town. One person is on a horse. There is a woman, identified as Barbara Fritchie waving a Union flag at a window. Text below the image reads: 'Stonewall Jackson and Barbara Fritchie. When she appeared at a window waving a Union flag, Jackson said "Who touches but a hair of yon' gray head, dies like a dog, march on.' Find a Union Solider."

To learn more about and view other materials contributed by Alexander County Library, visit their contributor page linked here.

View all issues of The Taylorsville Times (Taylorsville, N.C.) on DigitalNC, linked here.

To view more newspapers from across the state, view our North Carolina Newspapers Collection linked here.

Queens University of Charlotte Student Newspaper Documents the Lives of College Students in the Early 2000s

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campuspublications newspapers

The title and a section of an article detailing the rise of Facebook on campus.
Queens Chronicle, September 21, 2005, page 3
The title and a section of an article covering the rise of reality TV.
The Queens Chronicle, January 30, 2009, page 12
Two headlines discuss the early days of Facebook (left) and the rise of reality TV (right).
A hand-drawn map playfully depicting Queens University campus as a rat maze due to ongoing construction. A rat with a hardhat, meant to represent a student, is in a starting box labeled "You Are Here". A legend is featured in the bottom right-hand corner of the illustration.
A hand-drawn map playfully depicting the maze cause by ongoing construction on campus

With the help of our partners at Queens University of Charlotte, we are excited to announce the addition of 108 new issues of the Queens University of Charlotte Student Newspaper. This latest batch includes over 900 pages that detail student stories, Queens University history, and world events from 1989 to 2014. This new addition adds to the collection of Queens University of Charlotte Student Newspaper issues already available on DigitalNC, which includes issues dating back to 1920 when it was published under the title “Queens Blues.”

The majority of the newest issues hail from the golden years of the early aughts, during a time when the introduction of technology like social media and cellphones left its mark on the world and radically changed the college experience of students. At the same time, students grappled with global issues like the War in Iraq and the 2009 Financial Crisis. Closer to campus, students at the Queens University of Charlotte fought for issues such as better dining standards and increased accessibility. Across a decade of immense change, students at the Queens University of Charlotte did their best to understand the fast-moving currents of the 2000s. These latest issues of the Queens University of Charlotte Student Newspaper record what was in and what was out both on campus and around the world. Below are some examples of students’ ins and outs:

Ins:

Outs:

Fashion advice section titled "What's Hot, What's Not: Accessories" Two pictures labeled "Hot!" depict current trends while a third picture labeled "Not!" shows what is out-of-style.
“What’s Hot, What’s Not” fashion section from page 5 of the January 18, 2006 issue of Queens Chronicle

Visitors can browse all issues of the Queens University of Charlotte Student Newspaper here.

More items including photographs, yearbooks, scrapbooks, and journals can be browsed on Queens University of Charlotte’s contributor page here.

Queens University of Charlotte Archives & Special Collection can be found here. Browse Queens University Digital Archives here.

More information about our partner, Queens University of Charlotte, can be found on their website here. 

New Editions of the Transylvania Times Report on Library Construction and Opening

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newspapers

Thanks to our partners at the Transylvania County Library, new editions of The Transylvania Times are now available on our website! These new editions cover the years 1997 and 2005-2017, addressing life in the small town in southwestern North Carolina.

Image from the Transylvania Times showing the status of construction for the new county library.
Construction for the main study room at the new Transylvania County Library

One exciting story was the addition of the new library. The Times followed the construction and subsequent opening of the facility, reporting on all aspects of the building’s journey. The $7.5 million project included not only the new library but also an amphitheater and a community room, complete with a kitchen, movie screens, and seating for 200 people.

One fun way the library involved the community in the move was through the “Hand-to-Hand” event. On April 22, volunteers formed a human chain from the old library to the new one to help move 1,000 books from the children’s section of the old library to the new one. The new library opened on May 13 with a grand opening and ribbon-cutting ceremony, with the location’s first day of business being May 15.

Image from the Transylvania Times showing hundreds of people sitting in an amphitheater listening to a speaker in the center of the image.
Crowds gather for the grand opening of the new Transylvania County Library

According to The Times, construction on the new library had begun exactly two years and one week before the library’s grand opening. Hundreds of people packed the auditorium on May 13, eager to see the new facilities. This move was the fourth one in 90 years, each building increasing in size to accommodate the growing demand for books and space.

To learn more about the Transylvania County Library, please visit their website.

To view all issues of The Transylvania Times, please click here.

To view more newspapers from around North Carolina, please click here.

New Issues of Three Western North Carolina Newspapers Added to DigitalNC Through Hurricane Helene Recovery Work

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newspapers

A closeup of the masthead and title design of the newspaper Watauga Democrat (Boone, N.C.)
Masthead of the January 28, 1974 issue of the Watauga Democrat

With the help of our partners at the State Archives of North Carolina, the Western Regional Archives (Asheville, N.C.), and the Watauga County Public Library we are excited to announce that new issues of three different newspaper titles are now available on DigitalNC. Represented in these most recent issues is news from Watauga County, Alleghany County, and Buncombe County. These batches are part of the North Carolina Digital Heritage Center’s effort to aid our partners and neighbors in western North Carolina as they continue to address the extensive damage caused by Hurricane Helene last fall. Along with checking in with partners in the immediate aftermath of Helene and creating a disaster recovery resource guide, the North Carolina Digital Heritage Center has prioritized working with new and current partners who have been affected by Hurricane Helene.

DigitalNC visitors can now browse new issues of the following newspapers:

A Norfolk and Western Railway advertisement titled "The Fable of the Embarrassed Monkey Wrench". Illustrations of a monkey wrench "head" attached to the body of a human are shown in various scenes as it tries to find its purpose in the railway industry. The monkey wrench is shown whistling in a tool room, looking into a factory, gazing at a crane, and sitting defeatedly on a wooden crate as text boxes narrate the tale of the "embarrassed monkey wrench".
A Norfolk and Western Railway ad from the Alleghany News and Star-Times (Sparta, N.C.)

More information about our partner, Watauga County Public Library, can be found on their website here. More materials, including more issues of the Watagua Democrat (Boone, N.C.), another newspaper title, yearbooks, and photographs, can be found on Watauga County Public Library’s contributor page, which is linked here.

More information about our partner, State Archives of North Carolina, can be found on their website here. More materials, newspaper titles, yearbooks, and moving images can be found on the State Archives of North Carolina’s contributor page, which is linked here.

More information about our partner, Western Regional Archives (Asheville, N.C.), can be found on their website here. More issues of The Black Mountain News (Black Mountain, N.C.) can be found on the Western Regional Archive (Asheville, N.C.) contributor page, which is linked here.

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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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