Orange County NC Website
Browse       Search
"Preserving the North Carolina Room collection seemed simple and straightforward at <br /> the outset— how could anyone fail to understand its importance? But looking at the <br /> development over the last several weeks one could conclude there is still a lack of <br /> understanding. <br /> If this is not your home county you may not be familiar with the concept of an NC <br /> Room. If that is the case, I suggest you accept the invitation of Lynn Richardson, librarian for <br /> the NC Room in Durham to see an example of what Orange County could have if it had <br /> wanted to. Each surrounding county that was once Orange has a similar room and they have <br /> no trouble understanding its purpose nor see any reason to close it down. <br /> This is not a new issue. The Library Services Task Force was asked to study and <br /> make recommendations regarding a Heritage Center since 2000, and finally on May 20, 2008, <br /> the recommendation was accepted. Why has nothing been done? I expect you know better <br /> than I. But now is the time to finally do the right thing. The only reason it's become an issue is <br /> because there is a new library that is inadequate for its purpose. That's not the fault of the <br /> collection, nor is implying that dividing it is a way to preserve it. <br /> When Rebecca Wall described the $50,000 bequest in her will in the 1970's, she <br /> knew exactly what she intended it to support in the future, and it was not a place on a <br /> conference room wall for her painted tray to hang. She was providing for a room that <br /> showcased the history of the region as she knew and loved it. Such a separation of her <br /> bequest from its intended purpose is either a sad misunderstanding of her bequest, or a way <br /> of diverting money from someone who can no longer defend her wishes. She meant to keep it <br /> intact, and that is our wish as well. <br /> Saying that the collection will be `safe' and `accessible' is as non-specific as to mean <br /> anything at all, but what it does not say is that the collection will be intact. How sad that her <br /> specifying the collection be in a library, or called a library, should be twisted so that what she <br /> sought to support and protect could be broken up and culled for desirable items, the lesser <br /> ones going to other sites. <br /> Digitization is invaluable for both preservation and access, but not a substitute for a <br /> focused reference collection such as the typical NC Room. All libraries and historical societies <br /> try to digitize delicate or fragile materials, but first and foremost is the integrity of the collection <br /> itself. The imperative is that the bequest be used for protecting and growing the collection to <br /> become even more significant than today. The last time it was moved from one library to <br /> another, several items were never seen again. That can't happen this time. <br /> Orange County is proud of its history, and enjoys the benefits of Heritage Tourism to <br /> spread an understanding of the history of the region and the families who lived in or passed <br /> through here, while enhancing its economy. Why jeopardize the very thing that people visit <br /> from across the U. S., when it could be enhanced? <br /> You have the opportunity to make a wise, forward-looking decision regarding the <br /> collection, repairing years of neglect. I ask that you take it." <br /> Paul Hollinghurst, President of the Durham-Orange Genealogical Society of North <br /> Carolina, read a prepared statement. <br /> "The Durham-Orange Genealogical Society of North Carolina (D-OGS) is a nonprofit <br /> organization established in 1989 and dedicated to the research and preservation of family <br /> history of Durham and Orange Counties, North Carolina. We are committed to the <br /> preservation of the Orange County Public Library's North Carolina Room Collection in a <br /> supportive role, and hold the following beliefs: <br /> The NC Room is uniquely important because: <br /> -It is irreplaceable <br />