FAQ
Why collect community responses to Helene?
By collecting the digital record of Helene's impact, we're hoping to help our community heal and process our collective trauma, as well as to make sure that the historic record reflects all the diversity, nuance, and truth of what we've experienced. When we look back on the records we have from past floods, the documentation is sparse. Like a lot of historic documentation, records tend to focus on those who had the financial and technical ability to record their experiences, and the ability to hold on to those records for long enough that they can eventually be donated to archives or museums. Today, we and others affected by Helene are interested in making sure our stories, and our friends' and neighbors' stories, are heard and remembered for generations to come.
What kind of submissions do you want?
Can I submit materials from outside of Buncombe County?
Absolutely. In accordance with the mission of Buncombe County Special Collections, we encourage community members to contribute anything that sheds light on how Helene impacted the social, cultural, and natural history of Buncombe County as well as the surrounding areas of Western North Carolina and Southern Appalachia.
Can I submit materials in a language other than English?
Sí, да, так—yes! It might take us a little extra time to review your submission, but we'd love for the archive to represent all the voices in our community.
What are you going to do with the items?
The public library and/or project partners will preserve and provide access to contributed material, as we do for other donations that help us and researchers gain a fuller understanding of our region's history.
By contributing, you agree to these Terms and Conditions.
Contributors retain copyright, but license the public library to make them available for research purposes, like any item held in the library's collections.
Unless you tell us specifically to keep it private (such as restricting your submission for a certain number of years), the public library and project partners might share digital content on social media, in presentations, and in future projects like exhibitions. For anything outside of Fair Use (for instance, if someone wanted to publish your poetry in a book) users would need to contact you for permission, and we would help put them in touch with you, the contributor, via email.
If you don't want to retain copyright to your image, you can also choose to dedicate it to the public domain or choose a different license—just let us know in your submission description or by contacting us.
When will I see my contribution on the site?
Each contribution must be reviewed for content and formatting consistency. It may take up to 5 business days to see your contribution on the site. You will receive a confirmation email when your contribution is made public.
Can I attach more than one file per item?
Yes! This can be useful for certain types of contributions (such as before-and-after photo pairs like this one, or oral histories containing audio, transcript, and images). But you will need help from someone on our admin team to do it. Contact us to find out more.
My upload isn't working. What's wrong?
The most common issue we see is a file size that is too large. Check to make sure that the file you are trying to upload is 128MB or less. If the file you want to contribute is larger than this, try compressing it before you upload it to the site.
I have a lot of photos and don't want to submit them one by one. Can you do bulk uploads for a large collection of materials?
Yes! We can handle bulk uploads of up to 50 items at a time. This involves sending us a group of files, along with a spreadsheet containing basic descriptive metadata (such as file name, title, creator, date, and location). Please contact us to learn more.
Can I donate physical items to the archives?
Of course. Buncombe County Special Collections maintains collections of books, archival material (such as letters and diaries), and photographic prints and negatives. Certain materials for which BCSC believes it cannot take custody due to size, format, housing, preservation, rights, or privacy concerns will not be retained. Objects traditionally collected by a museum, such as artwork, textiles, and three-dimensional artifacts are also generally outside of BCSC’s collecting scope.
Please contact us for more information about collection policies or to discuss a donation.
I am/my organization is working on an independent documentation project. Can we connect?
We are happy to accept contributions of content collected as an independent effort. We can also offer resources to help with planning your project, such as guidance and technology in BCSC's oral history backpacks.
Organizations might also consider becoming one of our community partners. Contact us to find out more about how we can collaborate!