Hot town, summer in the city! Downstairs in the library, sittin’ cool & pretty… Seriously, come to the lower level of Pack Memorial Library and take advantage of our climate-controlled environment this summer. The Special Collections reading room is literally the coolest place in town to chill out. 😎
This summer, we’ve also got loads of reasons to explore. A new exhibition will celebrate the 30th anniversary of Building Bridges of Asheville, another will showcase LGBTQ+ Pride in Asheville, and Eric William Carroll’s exhibition about scrapbooks in our collections continues to be on view in the reading room. Plus, join us for free public programs about the local history of harm reduction, NC’s first congresswoman, retro technology, and more!
As you plan your visit, please be aware of upcoming schedule changes. BCSC will be open by appointment only from June 22-June 30 for our quarterly in-service week. All Buncombe County libraries are also closed Wednesday, June 19 and Thursday, July 4 in observance of Juneteenth and Independence Day. Thank you for planning accordingly!
Learning in Community: Blue Ridge Pride LGBTQIA+ Archives
Exhibition on view Saturday, June 1 – Saturday, June 29, 2024
Pack Memorial Library, 67 Haywood Street
Celebrate PRIDE month by visiting “Learning in Community: Blue Ridge Pride LGBTQIA+ Archives,” on display at Pack Memorial Library, June 1 – 29. This exhibition combines oral histories, physical artifacts, and handmade zines to share less known stories about local LGBTQ+ history. Did you know that Holly Boswell, an Asheville resident, designed the internationally used symbol for transgender identity (⚧) in 1993? Asheville was one of the first cities in North Carolina to host our own PRIDE events (1989), and the statewide PRIDE March was hosted here in 1992 and 1998 with record-breaking crowds.
The Blue Ridge Pride LGBTQIA+ Archive started in January 2019 as a cultural heritage project dedicated to preserving LGBTQIA+ history of the South. They have recorded over 113 oral histories from diverse backgrounds (70% of whom have lived over 23 years in Western North Carolina), and digitized over 50 boxes of physical artifacts online. The Blue Ridge Pride LGBTQIA+ Archive believes that local history, which includes LGBTQ+ people, is appropriate and valuable to people of all ages, and we welcome all generations to learn together through our exhibit. Materials curated in this exhibition represent contributions from UNC Asheville undergraduates and community volunteers from 20 to 95 years of age.
The History of Harm Reduction in WNC
Wednesday, June 5, 2024, 4:30 – 5:30 pm
Lord Auditorium, Pack Memorial Library, 67 Haywood Street
During the early years of the AIDS epidemic in Asheville, a small group of dedicated volunteers came together to care for people with AIDS-related illnesses. Soon after, they added prevention education and harm reduction services to their repertoire, including a syringe exchange program. Now recognized by the CDC, WHO, and other professional organizations as an important public health strategy, syringe exchange programs were illegal in North Carolina until 2016.
This panel, moderated by Abigail K. Stephens, will feature speakers Michael Harney, Lacy Hoyle, and Amy Upham to discuss the early days of the Western North Carolina AIDS Project (WNCAP) and the Needle Exchange Program of Asheville (NEPA), and how that history has shaped today’s public health efforts.
Advance registration is encouraged for this free event. Learn more about the speakers and register here.
30 Years of Building Bridges
Exhibition on view Tuesday, June 11 – Saturday, June 29, 2024
Pack Memorial Library, 67 Haywood Street
For 30 years, Building Bridges has invited community members into open conversations and opened their hearts to explore the impact of structural and systemic racism in a meaningful way to mobilize Asheville to dismantle racism, one conversation at a time.
The Asheville you know today has been greatly shaped by the work of Building Bridges over the past three decades. Over 2700 people of multiracial backgrounds have participated in 63 sessions of their 9-week workshop series and brought their learning back into the community.
This exhibition (presented in conjunction with Building Bridges of Asheville’s anniversary gala at The Venue on June 22) will feature photographs and archives exploring the history, the impact and the evolving mission of Building Bridges over the past three decades!
Juneteenth
Learn about Juneteenth and local Black history with an activity pack available at all Buncombe County Public Libraries! Although the reading room (and all Buncombe County libraries) will be closed on Wednesday, June 19, you can learn more about the local figures on this coloring book page by picking up or downloading an activity pack, planning a visit, or exploring our collections online.
Juneteenth events are also being held throughout Buncombe County libraries the entire month of June. Check out the list of celebrations here!
Recordkeeping for Social Justice
Tuesday, June 25, 2024, 6 – 7 pm
This event has been postponed–stay tuned for the new date!
OFF-SITE: 200 College Street
Have you ever wondered about the role that recordkeeping plays in building a more just society? The Register of Deeds office manages and provides access to public records tracing births, deaths, marriages, and property ownership in Buncombe County. Learn how this work can help facilitate historical reckoning and promote social equity.
Drew Reisinger will discuss projects pertaining to Cherokee land cessions, slave records, racially restrictive covenants, ending child marriage in North Carolina, and more.
Jane Pratt: North Carolina’s First Congresswoman
Tuesday, July 16, 2024, 6 – 7 pm
Lord Auditorium, Pack Memorial Library, 67 Haywood Street
Join us with author Marion Deerhake, who will discuss her new book Jane Pratt: North Carolina’s First Congresswoman! This free author event will be held in Pack Memorial Library’s Lord Auditorium in partnership with Malaprop’s Bookstore / Cafe.
On May 25th, 1946, after 22 years as a congressional secretary, Jane Pratt was elected as North Carolina’s first congresswoman. The press reported with great interest how “Miss Jane” won by a landslide with only a $100 campaign budget. She hit the ground running, voting to pass the Atomic Energy Act, working tirelessly to mitigate a century of flood disasters in Western North Carolina, and serving the constituents she knew so well.
This first biography of Congresswoman Jane Pratt provides a unique federal view of North Carolina’s early 20th century history. After working as a rare female newspaper editor in the early 1920s, Pratt became secretary to five tarheel congressmen over some 30 years. Her career spanned the roaring twenties, the Great Depression, World War II, and the Cold War. Her decision not to run for re-election offers insight into why 46 years passed before the state elected another woman to Congress.
The book includes how a young Jane Pratt attended Asheville Normal School for a short time prior to 1920. Deerhake describes how Asheville’s growth and historic events during that time may have shaped Pratt’s commitment to public service.
When Radio Came to Asheville
Tuesday, July 23, 2024, 6 – 7pm
Lord Auditorium, Pack Memorial Library, 67 Haywood Street
Stuart Smolkin, curator of the Asheville Radio Museum, will share the story of how radio broadcasting technology changed life in Western North Carolina a hundred years ago. This all-ages presentation is perfect for families!
After learning the history of radio broadcasting in Asheville, come back Friday for more retro technology exploration–radios included!
Retro Technology Discovery Day
Friday, July 26, 2024, 3 – 5pm
Lord Auditorium, Activity Room, and Special Collections Reading Room, Pack Memorial Library, 67 Haywood Street
Retro Techno returns! Old tech meets new in this all-ages technology event featuring live demos of typewriters, Atari, View-Masters and more!
Repurpose old technology to create new art in a couple of hands-on activity stations led by Asheville Museum of Science educators. Test your skills on retro video game systems, or write a letter on an old-fashioned typewriter. Then, check out vintage examples of technology in the Special Collections reading room, including a special appearance of objects from the collection of the Asheville Radio Museum. Light snacks will be provided.
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Learn more on our event calendar below:
