Special Collections Research Center
Discoveries and Reflections of my Special Collections Assistantship, by London Fowler
Friday, May 15th, marked the end of my term working as a Graduate Assistant in Belk Library’s Special Collections Research Center this Spring, and I am left with a great appreciation for the value that this experience has afforded me. Surprisingly, I never visited...
Hidden Stories in the Archives: Everyday Objects and the History of Watauga County
Dr. Emily Kader, Curator for Distinctive Collections, shared a selection of unusual and revealing items from the W.L. Eury Appalachian Collection at Appalachian State University. Together, these objects demonstrate how physical artifacts can open unexpected windows into the past.
Second Rhinehart Rare Book Room Open House Held on 3/2
On Monday, March 2nd, Special Collections held our second Rhinehart Rare Book Room Open House. While some have heard about the stately room lined with shelves of old and rare books, few have had the opportunity to see inside. Special Collections staff hopes to dispel...
An Immersive Experience at CODEX Book Arts Symposium & Book Art Fair
Curator of Rare Books & Manuscripts, Greta Browning, had the opportunity to attend the Tenth Biennial International CODEX Book Art Fair & Symposium, February 7-9, 2026, in Oakland, California. She also was accepted to the Pre-Symposium Seminar led by Wellesley...
My “Coolest Thing in Special Collections”: Ross Cooper
Hello, Special Collections blogroll readers! This is a guest submission by Ross Cooper, Public Services Associate, a member of the Public Services team staffing the “front end” of our Reading Room and research space. A colleague came up with the idea of asking each...
Bibliography Week: App State in New York
Public Services Librarian Hannah Helmey recently had the opportunity to attend Bibliography Week, a yearly event held in New York City at the end of January. Centered around the annual meetings of “several national organizations devoted to book scholarship and the...
Early Photographs of Watauga, II: Glass Plate Images
Continuing the consideration of the early photographs of Boone, Watauga County, and the wider area now known as The High Country within the archives of the Special Collections Research Center, we turn again to the Rev. J. Norton Atkins Papers collection. As detailed...
Graduate Assistant London Fowler Joins Staff
Hello, my name is London Fowler, from Charlotte, North Carolina. I joined the Special Collections Research Center in January of this year, where I work as a Graduate Assistant on the Public Services team. Prior to joining, I graduated from Appalachian State in the...
Grace Buckner is a New Graduate Assistant!
Grace Buckner is a new graduate assistant in the Special Collections Research Center at Appalachian State University. Grace holds a Bachelor of Arts in English with a minor in Appalachian Studies from App State, and is in her last semester of App State’s Master of...
Early Images of Watauga County’s Yesteryear, I: Landscapes and Photography from an Episcopalian Teacher and Clergyman
Following the creation of Watauga County in 1849, Boone’s incorporation in 1872, and the founding of what became Appalachian State University in 1899, the region experienced steady population and industrial growth. Emerging photographic technology documented the...
Fall Semester Instruction in Special Collections
As the semester winds down, Special Collections staff are looking back and taking account of our instruction activity this fall. We welcomed 26 classes from a variety of departments to the Special Collections Research Center for a library instruction session. The...
Stephen Fisher: Archiving in Memory
This is a guest post by Jesse Barber, former Oral History Assistant in the Special Collections Research Center. In August of 2024, Jesse Barber, a SCRC Oral History Assistant and Appalachian Studies MA graduate ‘24; and Greta Browning, SCRC Reference & Instruction...
Medieval Manuscripts on Display for Irish Studies Conference
On Saturday, September 27, the Special Collections Research Center participated in the American Conference for Irish Studies’ Southern Regional Meeting, held at App State. History professor Dr. Mary Valante organized a hands-on workshop, “The Past in the...