Asheville's Significant Buildings, Homes and Their Histories to be Available Online;
Grant to UNC Asheville's Ramsey Library Will Support Development of Virtual Collection

The State Library of North Carolina has awarded a $74,762 federal grant to UNC Asheville's Ramsey Library, in collaboration with the Asheville Art Museum and Pack Memorial Library, for a new project documenting Asheville's built environment. The funds will help support the development of a virtual collection of some 7,100 drawings, historical images, contemporary photographs, and background information about buildings, parks, bridges and other structures in the city of Asheville. The $74,762 grant is the largest ever awarded to a North Carolina library for cultural digitization.

"Asheville's Built Environment online collection will be an excellent resource for students, researchers and community members seeking to enhance their understanding and appreciation of our city's history and culture," said Ramsey Library Director Jim Kuhlman.

The project is drawing on the resources of the Asheville Art Museum, Pack Library's North Carolina Collection and a number of other area experts and organizations who hold key historical information. "Rarely do students and researchers want only images of buildings; they also want to know significant background information as well, such as when the building was constructed, the names of architects, businesses and residents of the structures, and the 'stories' that go with them. We are designing this site expressly for those users," said Helen Wykle, UNC Asheville's Ramsey Library special collections coordinator. Asheville's Built Environment is expected to be online in December 2004

The project is a statewide online cultural heritage initiative, NC ECHO (www.ncecho.org), and the grant is funded through the federal Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA). The federal Institute of Museum and Library Services manages LSTA, which is the only federal program devoted entirely to funding library services. LSTA provides block grants to state library agencies using a population-based formula. State libraries may use funds for statewide initiatives and services, and may also grant funds to public, academic, school and research, and special libraries. LSTA targets programs that use technology for information sharing between libraries and community agencies or projects that improve and expand library services, especially for low-wealth communities.

For more information about Asheville's Built Environment, contact Helen Wykle at 828/251-6645 or e-mail hwykle@unca.edu. For more information about federal IMLS/LSTA grants, visit www.imls.gov.

Media Contacts:

• Helen Wykle, Ramsey Library Special Collections Coordinator, 828/251-6645
• Merianne Epstein, UNCA Public Information Director, 828/251-6676