Posted in From the Stacks, History, Memorabilia Moment, Tar Heelia, Tar Talk on January 5, 2013 | 3 Comments »
The stack of Bibles on which Governor Pat McCrory took the oath of office earlier today included one believed to be the oldest associated with a North Carolina family in the state. The Durant Bible, as the volume is commonly known, was with George Durant, a 25-year-old Englishman, when he arrived on American shores about [...]
Posted in From the Stacks, Just A Bite, Tar Heelia, Tar Talk on December 27, 2012 | Leave a Comment »
A reference request today led me to this editorial that Jesse Helms penned for the January 1959 issue of the Tar Heel Banker. The magazine was a monthly publication from the North Carolina Bankers Association. Helms served as executive director of the group for much of the 1950s and, in that capacity, also served as [...]
Posted in History, Just A Bite, On This Day, Tar Heelia, Tar Talk on December 17, 2012 | 3 Comments »
Following the Constitutional mandate that they gather on the first Monday after the second Wednesday of the month, the state’s 15 electors met at the old state Capitol building earlier today and cast their votes. The outcome of their balloting was as expected. Reflecting the Republican ticket’s victory in the popular vote here, the electors [...]
Posted in From the Stacks, History, Literature, Tar Heelia, Tar Talk on December 7, 2012 | Leave a Comment »
Seen on the sea, no sign; no sign, no sign In the black firs and terraces of hills Ragged in mist. The cone narrows, snow Glares from the bleak walls of a crater. No. Again the houses jerk like paper, turn, And the surf streams by: a port of toys Is starred with its fires [...]
Posted in Just A Bite, Tar Heelia, Tar Talk, UNC History on December 3, 2012 | 3 Comments »
Here’s a question for you. What song would best serve as the state’s theme song? That question came to mind this morning as I sampled the works produced by the Beat Making Lab at UNC-Chapel Hill (You can read about one of the Beat Making Lab’s projects in The News and Observer from December 2). [...]
Posted in Just A Bite, On This Day, Tar Heelia, Tar Talk on November 9, 2012 | Leave a Comment »
Research Triangle Park leaders unveiled plans today to update “mom and dad’s research park.” The 68-page document lays out steps for denser development of the park and the creation of a wider range of amenities. The plan is a response to concerns that there is little land left for development in the 7,000 acre park [...]
Posted in From the Stacks, History, Tar Heelia, Tar Talk on November 5, 2012 | Leave a Comment »
While paper ballots haven’t gone the way of the Edsel, you’d be hard pressed to find ones like those used in North Carolina’s elections in the 19th century. As Douglas W. Jones, co-author of Broken Ballots: Will Your Vote Count notes in his “Brief Illustrated History of Voting”, the first paper ballots were slips provided [...]
Posted in From the Stacks, History, Literature, Tar Heelia, Tar Talk on October 24, 2012 | Leave a Comment »
Benjamin Filene’s curiosity about a children’s book in the North Carolina Collection led him in search of the story behind its creation and the individuals portrayed in it. And this weekend Filene, an historian at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, will share his discoveries during a presentation at the Orange County Public Library [...]
Posted in Just A Bite, Literature, New Books, Tar Heelia, Tar Talk on October 24, 2012 | Leave a Comment »
Congratulations to our library colleagues at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, who are re-launching their website the North Carolina Literary Map today. The site includes 2,583 North Carolina authors and 4,808 titles set in real or fictional locations in North Carolina. The site’s creators note that their selection process was broad and inclusive. [...]
Posted in From the Stacks, History, Tar Heelia, Tar Talk on October 19, 2012 | 1 Comment »
Here’s a story you’re not likely to hear as the announcers rattle on during Saturday’s UNC-Duke football game. Among the schools’ past 98 meetings on the gridiron, there have been only two games that ended with both teams scoreless – in 1930 and in 1931. Fans’ (or at least two reporters’) displeasure with the 0-0 [...]
