Have you heard tell..?
Did you see our recent announcement that HeardTell will now be open to community submissions?
Since 2013 our blog, HeardTell, has engaged lovers of Buncombe County history by sharing stories about and found in our archive. Over the years, HeardTell has become a tremendous resource and outreach tool, reaching more than half a million views. The blog was so well-received that our “Friends” group and staff transformed many of the posts into our first publication, Hidden History of Asheville (Arcadia, 2019).
Until now, postings on the blog have been limited to Special Collections staff and regular volunteers, but we know that many others are passionate about local history and want to share that interest with the community. That is why, beginning in July 2022, we’ll begin accepting submissions to HeardTell from community members.
This is an exciting move for us! Part of the BCSC mission is to share and collect the history and culture of our region. By inviting our community to share their stories and research with a wide audience, we can help nurture a community of history buffs in Asheville, Buncombe County, and beyond.
Staff and volunteers are looking forward to the diverse perspectives that our community can add the narrative of our collective past!
To learn more about how you can submit to HeardTell, click here.
But even in the wealth of spring, he remembered the harshness of this country. It is a cunning place, he thought, a place of dangers, after all.
John Ehle, The Land Breakers
Upcoming Events
BCSC is gearing up for summer fun! We’re excited about an upcoming programming partnership with the Asheville City Schools Foundation! Over the summer, BCSC and ACSF will host screenings of vintage Asheville High School football films.
Get ready to gear up for football season by joining us at the library to cheer on Cougars from the 60s, 70s, 80s, and 90s! It’s sure to be a blast (from the past!).
For more information about these programs and to make sure you don’t miss out on other BCSC fun, keep an eye on our events calendar by following the link below.
Buncombe County Special Collections Events Calendar
Featured Resource
Celebrating Pride Month
In recognition of Pride Month we are highlighting some of the resources we have in our collection that feature and celebrate the LGBTQIA+ community.
A sampling of some of the works you can find among the BCSC book collection are:
| Storytelling in Queer Appalachia: Imagining and Writing the Unspeakable Other* |
| Living Queer History: Remembrance and Belonging in a Southern City |
| Keep Singing: Two Mothers, Two Sons, and Their Fight Against Jesse Helms |
| The Lesbian South* |
| LGBTQ Fiction and Poetry from Appalachia* |
| Every True Pleasure: LGBTQ Tales of North Carolina* |
| Damn Love* |
You can view the collections below online or stop by for a visit for a more in-depth look:
Southern Appalachian Lesbian/Gay Alliance (SALGA) Records – MS280:
This collection contains bumper stickers, buttons, and pens produced by the Southern Appalachian Lesbian/Gay Alliance (SALGA) and a nearly complete collection of “Community Connections”, a circular published by another local LGBT organization, C.L.O.S.E.R.
Lisa Morphew Collection on Asheville/Buncombe County LGBTQ Community – MS281:
The Lisa Morphew Collection contains newspapers, posters, photos, and others material related to the LGBTQ community of Asheville and Buncombe County dating from the late 1990s to the early 2000s. The collection includes copies of Community Connections* newspaper published by the community organization C.L.O.S.E.R, material related to Asheville on Broadway*, a theater project benefiting the WNC AIDS Project, and hundreds of photos documenting Pride events in WNC, North Carolina, Washington D.C. and New York City.
Asheville Gay Community History Project – MS326:
This collection contains a timeline of local gay history as well as interviews with members of the LGBTQ+ community.
Additional resources: The LGBTQIA+ Archives at UNCA Ramsey Library Special Collections and University Archives
From the Friends
The Friends of BCSC help us go above and beyond when providing programs and services to our patrons. As we enter the summer months, we’re looking forward to hosting more programs and expanding our circle of friends!
In 2022, your membership as a Friend of the Buncombe County Special Collections will help support special new initiatives including a partnership with the YMI Cultural Center and the development of a new exhibit featuring the history of the land we now call Pack Square.
Our goal is to raise $15,000 to support this work in the coming year. We hope you will join us in meeting and exceeding that goal.
The next meeting of the Board of the Friends of Special Collections will be held Wednesday July 20, 2022 at 4:00 pm in the BCSC reading room. All dues-paying members of the Friends are always welcome to attend. We kindly ask that you RSVP.
To RSVP to the meeting or for questions about The Friends of Buncombe County Special Collections, please reach out to friendsbcsc@gmail.com.
