Lend a Hand to Local History
Become a Friend of Buncombe County Special Collections!
The overriding mission of the Friends of Buncombe County Special Collections is to support the activities of the BCSC staff and to enhance the historical, intellectual and literary aspects of community life in Buncombe County and Western North Carolina.
To accomplish this mission, the Friends work to increase public awareness and stimulate the use of the collection’s resources; provide programs that engage and enlighten the Friends members and the local community; serve as ambassadors for the collection and advise the staff of the collection as needed.
A tax-deductible contribution in any amount ($15 suggested) serves as your annual membership dues. To donate, visit PayPal.me/friendsbcsc, or send a check (made out to Friends of Buncombe County Special Collections) or cash to:
Friends of Special Collections
Pack Memorial Library
67 Haywood St.
Asheville, NC 28801
You can also donate your time! Whether you prefer to contribute financial support, volunteer skills, or a little of both, please be sure to complete the following form so that we can be in touch: tinyurl.com/bcsc-friends.
Publications
To date, the Friends of BCSC have supported the publication of two books by BCSC staff: Hidden History of Asheville compiled by Librarian Zoe Rhine (Arcadia Press, 2019) and Buncombe Origins: The Making of Asheville and Buncombe County edited by Emily Cadmus and Collection Manager Katherine Cutshall (Buncombe County Public Libraries, 2024).
Purchasing a print copy of these books from the Special Collections Reading Room or from a bookstore is a great way to support the Friends of BCSC!
Current Initiatives
The Friends of BCSC is particularly in need of:
- Individuals willing to provide leadership as part of an active governing Board.
- Continuing support to promote and process digital contributions to Come Hell or High Water, a community memory project in the aftermath of Helene.
Could that be you? Let us know!
Donations from the Friends also support work like:
- Interpretive exhibits
- Field trips for local students
- Paid internship opportunities
- Community-driven archives projects
- Public program costs such as speaker honorariums
Got questions? Email the Friends of BCSC to learn more!
“Local History is, at its heart – as is history itself – the study of the human condition in and through time . . . It begs for studies of how we have lived in the past, in this particular place.”
– On Doing Local History by Carol Kammen