Special to Iredell Free News

RALEIGH — The N.C. 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 N.C. 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, so people are asked to save items for future collection, but record and submit information about them now.

LEARN MORE

To learn more or submit information to either the State Archives or the Museum of History, visit www.ncdcr.gov/YourStory.