First things first! We’ve got a new Instagram account! Follow us at @buncombespeccoll from now on for fun tidbits from the collection and updates on events. (For a while now we’ve been unable to access certain features using our old account, hence the shift. But hey, who doesn’t love a fresh start?)
As we enter the coming months, we’re excited to offer events including:
- our new Tuesday night listening sessions, “Vinyl from the Vault,” featuring local music in a casual library setting;
- two programs that will appeal to Civil War buffs;
- our final book club meeting of the year, focusing on the history of the Blue Ridge Parkway.
In other news, thanks to all who joined us for programs over the last couple months! We were honored to open a new exhibition, Coming Together through Agriculture & Mutual Aid in WNC: Photographs and Interviews by Carolina Corona. Related programming included a thoughtful panel of speakers from local community farms. The exhibition will remain on view through the end of the year
Buncombe County’s agricultural and rural heritage was also the focus of events about hollering traditions through time, the farm at Black Mountain College in the mid-20th century, and an exhibition about the NC Cooperative Extension (displayed off-site at the Mountain State Fair).
Leicester area residents are continuing to share their stories through oral histories, community events, and collection donations as part of the Leicester History Project. We’re especially excited for the release of the Leicester Library Cookbook, featuring patron recipes. Grab a copy at the upcoming potluck taking place at the Leicester Library on November 14th!
Collection Updates
Most of our collections are paper-based or digital, but sometimes “realia” (that is, actual objects) are just too good to pass up. New additions to our realia collection over the past couple months have included a special edition skateboard from the influential PUSH Skateshop and Gallery; and a maquette of Asheville’s first public sculpture, Energy Loop, gifted by sculptor Dirck Cruser to arts advocate Elizabeth Holden for her role in making the full-scale sculpture possible.
We were also excited to acquire a single issue of a local paper we had never come across before, The Black Post, published in June 1975. Newspapers documenting Black life in Asheville are rare—for instance, only one issue of the 1890s Colored Enterprise is known to have survived—so this is a special find. (Do you know more about The Black Post? Got copies in the attic somewhere? Let us know!)
Newly digitized is W. O. Wolfe’s personal photo album, featuring 9 tintypes and 8 cabinet cards from around 1880–1910. Although many pictured individuals are unidentified, taken together with the extensive Westall Family Collection, it offers a window into the family and context that influenced novelist Thomas Wolfe. [The photos below have been edited from the original scans to increase brightness and contrast.]
Upcoming Closures and Schedule Changes
Please note that all Buncombe County library locations will be closed on the following federal holidays:
- Wednesday, November 11 (Veterans Day)
- Thursday, November 26– Saturday, November 28 (Thanksgiving)
- Thursday, December 24–Monday, December 28 (Christmas)
The Buncombe County Special Collections reading room will be open by appointment only during the week of December 7–11. Quarterly in-service weeks like this one make it possible for us to tackle bigger collections projects so that more research materials are available to you. Please call or email in advance to reserve time for research that week. Thank you for planning your visit accordingly!
Check out the full chronological list of BCSC exhibitions and events for the coming months below—or visit the BCPL calendar to see all upcoming local history events throughout Buncombe County Public Libraries.
November–December Events
Songs From the Knoxville Project with Angela Easterling: A Musical Tale of a Southern Family’s Resistance to the Confederacy
Tuesday, November 3, 5:30–6:30 pm
Lord Auditorium, Pack Memorial Library, 67 Haywood Street, Asheville
Angela Easterling shares the true story of her ancestor, Narcissus Middleton, a Union loyalist in North Carolina during the Civil War, and the treacherous journey she took to save her own and her children’s lives. With original songs inspired by the journey, readings from her ancestor’s journal, and accompaniment by Brandon Turner, including guitar, resonator, banjo and dobro, Angela brings us back to these harrowing times for our nation, and tells a little-know story of Southern resistance to the Confederacy. This program is geared towards adults and appropriate for ages 10 and up.
Film Screening: Cold Mountain
Tuesday, November 10, 4:00–6:30 pm
Special Collections Reading Room, Pack Memorial Library, 67 Haywood Street, Asheville
Joins us for a screening of the critically acclaimed film Cold Mountain, based on the 1997 novel by the same name by Charles Frazier.
Just in time for Asheville’s annual “Cold Mountain season”!
Film synopsis: At the dawn of the Civil War, the men of Cold Mountain, North Carolina, rush to join the Confederate army. Ada has vowed to wait for Inman, but as the war drags on and letters go unanswered, she must find the will to survive while desperately struggling to hold onto her family’s farm. Inman’s long journey home takes him through the crumbling Confederacy, as he meets people of all walks of life who both aid and hinder his mission.
Leicester Community Potluck and 25th Anniversary Celebration!
Saturday, November 14, 5:00–7:00 pm
Leicester Library, 1561 Alexander Road, Leicester, NC
In November 2001, the Leicester Library opened its doors. This November, twenty-five years later, we are celebrating two and a half decades of story times, book clubs, talking about books and current events, sharing seeds and growing food, watching kids grow up and watching sunflowers bloom in the community garden. None of this would be possible without the amazing Leicester community!
To celebrate we are having a community potluck featuring dishes made by people in this community. Everyone is invited.
Attendees are invited to bring a dish to share—possibly something you submitted to the community cookbook? We’ll have delicious food (including cake) and some fun activities to celebrate all that we have created together. Plus, updates on the Leicester History Project and how to get involved.
Film Screening: A Life Reimagined: The George Masa Story
Tuesday, November 17, 6:00–7:30 pm
East Asheville Library, 3 Avon Road, Asheville, NC
George Masa’s photography changed America.
But when he died in 1933, he left no clues about who he really was, inspiring filmmaker Paul Bonesteel to embark on a decades-long search to uncover the remarkable story of the mysterious Japanese photographer.
A Life Reimagined uncovers the untold story of Masa, whose photographic skill and love of mountains helped shape Great Smoky Mountains National Park and the Appalachian Trail — told through Masa’s journals and letters, the voices of historians and researchers, and set amidst the sweeping landscapes of the Appalachian and Japanese mountains, hundreds of archival photographs, and surprising historical rabbit holes.
More information and film trailer: GeorgeMasa.com
Vinyl from the Vault
Tuesday, November 24, 5:00–7:00 pm
Special Collections Reading Room, Pack Memorial Library, 67 Haywood Street, Asheville
Buncombe County Special Collections has over 200 vinyl records featuring regional music and history. Come hang out with BCSC librarians for a casual night of tunes from the turntable. Drop in or stay the whole time!
Land of the Sky 101 Book Club
Tuesday, December 1, 2026, 5:30pm–7:00pm
Special Collections Reading Room, Pack Memorial Library, 67 Haywood Street, Asheville
Land of the Sky 101 is a community learning circle for those who are interested in the history of Asheville, Buncombe County, and Western North Carolina.
This four-part series of readings and discussions is modeled after the themes of the exhibit An Incomplete History of Buncombe County in the BCSC reading room. Readers can choose from two selections; one light read like a novel, essay collection, or poetry; and one rigorous non-fiction read written by an expert on the subject. Pick one or both! The choice is yours!
Each session is facilitated by a Buncombe County Special Collections librarian or special guest who shares expert knowledge, additional resources, and sets the context for the conversation.
On December 1, 2026, Land of the Sky 101 will discuss:
- Super Scenic Motorway: A Blue Ridge Parkway History by Anne Mitchell Whisnant
- Lum: A Novel by Libby Ware
History of the Asheville Motor Speedway with Hayden Burris
Saturday, December 12, time TBD
West Asheville Library, 942 Haywood Rd, Asheville, NC
Western Carolina University’s Hayden Burris will share new research on the history of the Asheville Motor Speedway. Stay tuned for more information!
Got feedback on past BCSC events or ideas for future ones? Let us know in this short, anonymous survey or email us!
Click here to share your thoughts!
To stay up-to-date on upcoming BCSC events, consider signing up for our blog via email, following us on Instagram or Facebook, or visiting the Buncombe County Public Libraries calendar. (Hint: Use the “Program Type” filter to view only events with a local history focus!)
