About the Digital Library of Appalachia
Scope and content: The Digital Library of Appalachia seeks to provide online access to archival and
historical materials related to the culture of the southern and central Appalachian region.
The thirty-four member libraries, archives, and museums associated with the Appalachian College Association,
known collectively as ACA Central Library, seek to generate interest and encourage continued scholarship for
the entire region. Information in the database exists as reproductions of color or black and white photographs,
reformatted typed pages, published books, unpublished manuscripts, personal diaries and correspondence,
journal and newspaper articles, musical recordings, oral history recordings and transcripts, and
other related reproductions.
Purposes of the Digital Library of Appalachia:
- To improve scholarly access to research resources related to Appalachia. Improved access, particularly to primary source material, will strengthen academic offerings in Appalachian Studies.
- To bring together research resources that are currently scattered throughout geographically remote locations. The digital library allows items to be viewed side-by-side, even if they are physically located in different states. The opportunity for comparison and contrast will foster new learning about Appalachian experience.
- To share information about Appalachia with scholars worldwide. Students, faculty, and researchers will be able to draw upon the Digital Library of Appalachia for authentic information, and thereby gain a greater understanding of the region.
- To broaden opportunities for classroom instruction. Faculty will be able to design new or revised courses based on the resources newly made available through the Digital Library of Appalachia. Likewise, students and teachers in regional schools may find the Digital Library of Appalachia revitalizes their courses in state and local history and culture.
Copyright and Permissions
We encourage Fair Use of these materials under current U.S. Copyright law and accompanying guidelines. Collections of the Digital Library of Appalachia (DLA) are made available for non-profit and educational use, such as research, teaching and private study. For these purposes, you may reproduce DLA materials (print, download or make copies) without prior permission. However, users must obtain written permission from the owning repository or rights holder before using a particular item for other purposes, including publication or other commercial applications.
The owner of each item in the Digital Library of Appalachia is identified in the "Holding Library" field of the item record. Requests for permission should be addressed to specific holding libraries. Their contact information is available here below.
Libraries participating in the DLA provide descriptive information from their records for each item digitized. This information is given to aid patrons in determining the historical importance and cultural context of an item. In some instances, the holding library does not have complete information about authors, publishers, or other persons associated with the materials in their collection. The owning institutions appreciate hearing from anyone who may have additional information about any of the items in the collection, and from those who may wish to donate Appalachian resources to an institution.
Participants in the Digital Library of Appalachia:
