The North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources is collecting objects, archival materials (both digital and physical), and web content that reflect the experiences of North Carolina citizens, officials, organizations, businesses, and caregivers during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The State Archives and N.C. Museum of History are collaborating on Your Story is North Carolina's Story, a community-based initiative to collect materials that document personal experiences during the pandemic.
Diaries, journals, oral histories, images, recordings, and similar materials will help tell the stories of North Carolinians during this unprecedented time in history. Personal accounts provide depth and context for what an event or era was like for the people experiencing it.
The State Archives of North Carolina is interested in preserving and sharing stories from the COVID-19 era from people all around the state. The Archives is seeking original, first-person materials that document this pandemic, including personal accounts and journals; photographs and videos; ephemera, such as signage about store closures or shortages of supplies, home lesson plans, or advertisements; and oral histories.
The North Carolina Museum of History collects and preserves artifacts relating to the history and heritage of North Carolina and is seeking objects to help tell the story of the pandemic such as personal protective equipment (particularly items manufactured in North Carolina); items associated with frontline “essential” workers; and objects associated with life during quarantine, volunteer efforts, medical research, social distancing and more.
Physical objects cannot be collected while our facilities are closed, and we do not want to take items that are still in use, so people are asked to save items for future collection, but record and submit information about them now.
To learn more or submit information to either the State Archives or the Museum of History, visit www.ncdcr.gov/YourStory.
About the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources
The N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources (NCDNCR) is the state agency with a vision to be the leader in using the state's natural and cultural resources to build the social, cultural, educational and economic future of North Carolina. NCDNCR's mission is to improve the quality of life in our state by creating opportunities to experience excellence in the arts, history, libraries and nature in North Carolina by stimulating learning, inspiring creativity, preserving the state's history, conserving the state's natural heritage, encouraging recreation and cultural tourism, and promoting economic development.
NCDNCR includes 27 historic sites, seven history museums, two art museums, two science museums, three aquariums and Jennette's Pier, 39 state parks and recreation areas, the N.C. Zoo, the nation's first state-supported Symphony Orchestra, the State Library, the State Archives, the N.C. Arts Council, State Preservation Office and the Office of State Archaeology, along with the Division of Land and Water Stewardship. For more information, please visit www.ncdcr.gov.