Secretary Kluttz Joins Art Museum for Trail Opening

Sec. Kluttz at Saturday’s opening with N.C. Museum of Art director Larry Wheeler, Raleigh Mayor Nancy McFarlane, BlueCross BlueShield of N.C. CEO Brad Wilson and Dan Gottlieb and Cathy Higgins of NCMA and BCBSNC, respectively

Blue grass, marching bands and food trucks set a festive air for the opening of the mile-long Blue Loop multi-modal recreational trail on the 164-acre grounds of the N.C. Museum of Art. The loop connects with the network of trails behind the museum and helps to promote that art can be found inside as well as out.

Amidst a crowd of several hundred onlookers, Sec. Susan Kluttz joined N.C. Museum of Art (NCMA) director Larry Wheeler, Raleigh Mayor Nancy McFarlane and BlueCross BlueShield of North Carolina (BSBCNC) CEO Brad Wilson to dedicate the new recreational trail.

Kluttz emphasized the importance of public private partnerships, art’s role in economic development and the importance of recreation in her remarks.

The trail was made possible through collaboration between the museum and BlueCross BlueShield of North Carolina, the state’s largest insurer. It is the flagship project of BCBSNC’s “Get Outside, North Carolina” initiative that seeks to improve health and reduce obesity-related medical costs in the state.

The mile-long loop also connects to the extensive Capital Area Greenway System (which has grown to an 88-mile, 3,700-acre network) and adds to the draw of NCMA’s Museum Park, already one of the top art parks in world, according to Bicycling Magazine.

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Swearing-In Bible Has a Storied Past

Saturday morning, the Curtis Bible was used to swear in Governor Pat McCrory’s eight new cabinet secretaries. The Bible, which is in the permanent collection of the State Archives, has quite an interesting story behind it. In fact, it is believed to have saved its namesake’s life.

A native of Caldwell County, Burton McKinley Curtis enlisted in the Army shortly after the U.S. entry into World War I. Assigned as a cook with 113^th Field Artillery Regiment, Curtis was sent to Europe less than a month after his enlistment. Curtis’s unit took heavy fire during an assault on German forces as part of the Battle of Saint-Mihiel near Verdun, France, and the Bible reportedly saved Curtis’s life by absorbing the impact of a bullet or shrapnel. The damage to the Bible that resulted from the hit is still evident today.

After receiving an honorable discharge in 1919, Curtis returned to North Carolina and worked as a bailer at a cotton mill. He donated the pocket-sized, war-worn New Testament to the Hall of History (now the N.C. Museum of History) on November 16, 1920. The Bible was eventually transferred to the Archives because it is a document. This piece of North Carolina history was selected for the ceremony by Governor McCrory’s inaugural committee.

The governor provided a commemorative bible to each of his new cabinet secretaries. Some also chose to bring a family bible. The Curtis Bible resided on the the rostrum in front of Justice Paul Newby, who administered the oath.

You can see a list of North Carolina here.

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Transitions: The 2013 Gubernatorial Inauguration Behind-the-Scenes

The N.C. Department of Cultural Resources has been particularly busy these last few weeks helping with the transition from one gubernatorial administration to the next.

Staff at the State Capitol Historic Site are helping elected officials and advisors move out of their stately home and new leaders move in. They’re also helping plan the ceremonies surrounding the swearing in of the governor’s cabinet, the Council of State and the governor.

Tryon Palace staff will host Governor Pat McCrory’s eastern regional visit to take place January 8, and a number of historical interpreters associated with the Cultural Resources—from Tryon Palace’s Fife and Drum and Jonkonnu groups to Fort Dobbs’s militia to Roanoke Island Festival Park’s Silver Chalice Boat and crew and beyond—will also take part in the inaugural parade on January 12.

The State Archives are making sure that records of departing officials are being appropriately transferred and providing reference and research services to various planning committees—including coming in during the holidays to provide copies of films from previous inaugurations.

Archives staff have also helped select the historic Bibles that will be used in the oath taking, and, as caretaker of the Great Seal of the State of North Carolina, State Archivist Sarah Koonts will take part in the private, “Transfer of the Seal Ceremony,” which is held just before the governor takes the Oath of Office.  Archives photographers will also be on hand to document these and other transition activities.

Our Historical Resources Division is providing research reports on previous inaugurations and the state seal to the inaugural committee, while the N.C. Museum of History has mounted its always popular Governor’s Exhibit, which is updated and re-opened every four years to coincide with gubernatorial inaugurations. This year’s exhibit Leading the State: North Carolina’s Governors will run through April 28, 2013.

Filled with artifacts that include personal items, clothing and portraits, Leading the State highlights the changes in the office of governor and the role of first spouses. The exhibit also focuses on how governors have campaigned and been elected. In addition to this exhibit, the Museum of History also accessioned a number of gifts from Governor Beverly Perdue to help document her time in office and is currently working with Gov. McCrory’s staff to decorate and equip the Executive Mansion living quarters and office in the State Capitol.

These activities are just a few of the ways, we, as the state agency charged with preserving the state’s memory, are helping support that crucial mechanism of democracy and the all-too-rare occurrence in the history of humankind: the peaceful transfer of power.

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Seal of the State Signals Transfer of Power

The State Seal in the governor’s office

Minutes before Pat McCrory is publicly sworn in as governor in the Old Senate Chamber on Saturday, a lesser-known transfer-of-power ceremony will take place. The ceremony centers around the Great Seal of the State, which symbolizes the change in authority from one governor to the next. The seal is kept by State Archives but generally remains in the governor’s office at the State Capitol.

The ceremony is actually quite simple. Outgoing Governor Beverly Perdue will read an oath to Governor-Elect McCrory, which he will then repeat. McCrory will then make an impression of the seal on a piece of paper and deposit it into his official papers, which are also maintained by the State Archives. Secretary of State Elaine Marshall and Chief Justice Sarah Parker will stand by as witnesses as will any others McCrory chooses to invite.

The Great Seal of the State of North Carolina has its origins in the colonial era and officially became the responsibility of the governor under the state constitution of 1776. Since that time, its design underwent major changes in 1974, 1835, 1893 and 1971. A minor change—commemorating the date of the Halifax Resolves—was also made in 1983. You can check out the evolution of the seal’s design from 1665 to present in the diagram above from the N.C. Museum of History.

Changes to the State Seal. Click on the image to see it in its the full size.

Cultural Resources has some other great resources related to the seal and gubernatorial inaugurations, including:

• A 1909 report on the history of the seal from the Secretary of State in the digital collections of the State Archives and State Library
• The Great Seal and State Motto on Did You Know? North Carolina from the N.C. Museum of History
• Images of gubernatorial inaugurations past from the State Archives
• Video of Gov. William B. Umstead’s 1953 Inauguration, Gov. Terry Sanford’s inauguration from 1961 and Gov. James Martin’s inauguration in 1985 from the State Archives

For more on this year’s inauguration, check out the official 2013 Inauguration website.

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Gov. Perdue Donates Desk to Museum of History

The desk pre-move in the governor’s office

Earlier this afternoon, North Carolina Museum of History staff carefully wrapped Governor Beverly Perdue’s heavily carved desk, placed it on a rolling table, and pushed it across Union Square and Edenton Street to the Museum where it will join that institution’s permanent collection.  This desk is part of a group of items she recently gave to the museum.

Protecting the desk for a safe move

The State Capitol Historic Site, the N.C. Museum of Art and the N.C. Museum of History—all part of the N.C. Department of Cultural Resources—help preserve and maintain the official state furnishings used by the governors in the Capitol and the Executive Mansion. Each incoming governor selects items from special collections maintained by these institutions and combines them with items of their own to furnish his or  her office in the State Capitol and the living areas of the Executive Mansion.

Arriving safely at the N.C. Museum of History

Upon departing office, each governor donates items that help document his or her time in office to these collections. Some of these items—including Gov. Perdue’s veto stamp—are on view as part of the Leading the State exhibit at the N.C. Museum of History. Check them out tonight when you head out to First Night Raleigh! In celebration of the New Year, the museum will be open until 11 p.m.

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Work With Us This Summer

This post comes from Jeff Miles, web content manager at Cultural Resources.

Just over a year ago, I walked into the Department of Agriculture building on Edenton Street for the first day of an internship with the department’s public affairs team. I was half-scared, half-excited and overall not sure what to expect. During that summer and into the fall, I received great paid work experience while still in school, made awesome connections with people in state government and, most importantly to me, learned so much about North Carolina and what makes our state great.

I can’t say enough about how positive my experience was, and I’m sure that had I not worked at Ag, I wouldn’t be in the awesome job that I am today. That’s why I’m so excited to say Cultural Resources is offering 15 different internship opportunities this summer through the State Government Internship Program.

From working as a historic interpreter at one of our 27 historic sites to assisting us craft the content behind our “This Day in N.C. History” project to helping the State Archives organize materials, we have numerous opportunities. You can see the full list here. On top of the fact that the projects you’ll work on are awesome in their own right, you’ll be paid for your work, have the opportunity to earn course credit and meet lots of cool people.

The deadline to apply is December 10 and you’ll hear back about interviews in February and placements in March. Good luck with your application, and we hope to see you next summer!

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Remembering Former UNC President William Friday

Remembering former UNC President William Friday, who passed away this morning at the age of 92. He was a strong supporter of arts, culture and heritage in North Carolina. He served for many years on the Roanoke Island Historical Association Board (the organization that produces The Lost Colony), and was the first chair of the N.C. Museum of History Foundation Board. He was awarded a North Carolina Award for Public Service in 1975.

The photos in the slideshow below come from the State Archives and depict Friday over time between 1956 and 1983:

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Libraries: A Key Resource for Job Seekers in North Carolina

Secretary Linda Carlisle today spoke at a Congressional briefing for the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) concerning how libraries support the workforce.  State Librarian Cal Shepard was also in attendance.  Sec. Carlisle was introduced by Sen. Kay Hagan.  Following are excerpts of Sec. Carlisle’s remarks.

In January of 2009, I was appointed Secretary of the N.C. Department of Cultural Resources by Gov. Bev Perdue.  Her number one priority, given the state of the economy, was of course, jobs.  She encouraged all of her Cabinet to “think jobs” and to look for meaningful ways to collaborate.

Sec. Linda Carlisle with Sen. Kay Hagan at today’s IMLS Congressional briefing.

In one of my first meetings with our State Librarian of North Carolina, I heard reports of increased demand from job seekers at public libraries across our state.  One of the best examples is rural Duplin County in eastern North Carolina.

The local employment security commission in Duplin County did not have enough workstations to accommodate the demand so they turned to the public libraries and encouraged people to use their resources. As a result, patron computer use increased dramatically from October 2008 to February 2009 compared to the previous year, with an average increase across the five system libraries of 117.4%.  The main branch in Kenansville saw a 409% increase in computer usage over that same time period.

Those numbers, and others like them around the state and indeed around the nation, spurred us to ask ourselves how our libraries could be part of the solution, helping our citizens at a significant time of need, as a workforce development tool.  This included helping folks create resumes, giving assistance in navigating job searches online, even showing people, many of whom had never used a computer, how to fill out an online application.

Cultural Resources and the State Library of North Carolina worked with our state’s Employment Security Commission, and the N.C. Department of Commerce – all three agencies shared in funding for the project, with the State Library providing the training resources.

Our State Library Development section organized 9 Job Search workshops around the state for public library staff, co-presented by state library staff and local partner organizations.   Nearly 300 librarians were trained statewide.

The project became a national model.  Following our success in North Carolina , the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) requested that our State Library work with WebJunction to develop a national project based on the work we had done in North Carolina. The result was Project Compass, linking libraries nationwide in order to share strategies for helping unemployed patrons find work.

Project Compass featured regional summits where state library officers could share best practices on meeting the workforce needs of their communities, developed a national “Job Search Toolkit,” and provided training and training resources to public library staff across the United States. More than 2,000 library staffers were trained through in-person workshops in 38 states.  There were also two online workshops for staffers from 22 states.

Our public libraries have always been an important part of their communities, providing a wide range of programs and support.  However, one of the important things learned during this time has been that our libraries continue to play a critical role in the lives of our citizens – including assistance with meeting basis human needs, such as getting a job!

The wonderful North Carolina writer Robert Morgan once wrote, “A library is richer than Fort Knox and everybody has the key.” Not only do citizens have that key to our public libraries, but we also believe in giving job seekers the key to their future.

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Fees Increase at Four State Historic Sites

Several state historic sites have raised their fees to ensure that they can continue to preserve North Carolina’s past and give you the best possible experience. Here’s a quick rundown of the changes.

Admission prices to the Thomas Wolfe Memorial in Asheville are now $5 for adults and $2 for children. At Historic Bath, admission prices for the Bonner House and the Palmer-Marsh House have increased to $2 per house for adults and $1 per house for children. At both sites, groups of ten or more will still receive half off the regular rates.

Reed Gold Mine in Midland, N.C.

General admission to the N.C. Transportation Museum is now $6 for adults, $5 for seniors and active military, $4 for children between the ages of three and 12 and free for children younger than three. For groups of 15 or more the rates are $4.50 for adults and $3.50 for seniors, active military personnel and children between three and 12.

A public hearing on the changes in the price structure at the Museum will be held on August 16 at 10:00 a.m. in Room 2172A-2 of the Dobbs Building at 430 N. Salisbury St in Raleigh. Public comments can also be submitted in writing between August 9 and August 31. Details on that process are available here.

Finally, while admission to Reed Gold Mine remains free, the fee for gold panning is now $3 per person, with a $1 discount per person for groups of 10 or more.

Admission to the majority of the 27 historic sites is still free. If you have any questions regarding the changes, don’t hesitate to contact us.

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State Library, State Archives Praised for Preservation Efforts

In the past week both the State Archives and the State Library have been praised by national organizations for their use of technology and for their innovative efforts in preservation.

A joint project from the Archives and Library received a Library of Congress National Digital Stewardship Alliance Innovation Award for excellence in digital preservation outreach. They were specifically recognized for the wealth of information they provide online via their website, YouTube account and Twitter feed. Lisa Gregory, Dean Farrell, Amy Rudersdorf, Michelle Underhill and Kathleen Kenney from the Library, and Kelly Eubank and Rachel Trent from the Archives contributed to the project.

Additionally, the State Archives was recognized by the Society of American Archivists (SAA) for a publication it produced in coordination with several other states called Best Practices for Archival Processing for Geospatial Datasets. The publication provides guidance for archivists on preserving GIS data. It was characterized by SAA as “a valuable contribution to the field of digital preservation for a common, but complex type of electronic record.”

As if that weren’t enough, the Archives and Library together are regional finalists for Innovative Technology Awards from the Council of State Governments. The awards are designed to recognize the creative use of technology to solve problems that governments face. They’re being recognized for their Social Media Archiving and Access program, in which they preserve state government social media through the Web Site Archives and provide guidance to state and local government on best practices.

Congratulations to all those who contributed to these wonderful projects! The work you’re doing is truly amazing!

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