New Research Tool: NC ECHO Allows Users to Search Local History Collections Across North Carolina With Single Search Box

Here’s one cool resource and a great example of collaboration.
From a NC ECHO (North Carolina Exploring Cultural Heritage Online) Announcement:

Researchers and history buffs alike may now search and access local history collections across North Carolina with a single search box thanks to a collaborative project led by the North Carolina Digital Heritage Center, NC LIVE, and the State Library of North Carolina.
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NC ECHO, available at http://ncecho.org, has been updated in order to expand access to unique local heritage collections previously scattered across a multitude of websites and North Carolina institutions. NC ECHO enables users to search across thousands of digitized and “born-digital” historic materials, including a wide variety of books, photographs, maps, family histories, state documents, newspapers and other materials from cultural heritage institutions around North Carolina.

Read the Complete Announcement
Direct to NC ECHO
Note: Default is keyword search. However, you can also search for materials from a specific county. Look for “County” tab on the top of search box.  You’ll then see a clickable map and a list of all North Carolina counties.

Technical Facts

• ECHO utilizes OAI-PMH metadata
• Indexed using SOLR
• Ajax-powered user interface

Where Does the Material Come From?

The NC ECHO Search currently includes records from selected collections at the following institutions:

• East Carolina University
• Johnson C. Smith University
• New Hanover County Public Library
• North Carolina Digital Collections, Department of Cultural Resources
• North Carolina Digital Heritage Center
• University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
• The University of North Carolina at Greensboro
• Western Carolina University

Similar Projects (One Click to Search Multiple Databases)

• IMLS Digital Collections and Content

• Digital Library of Georgia
  

Filed under: Digital Collections, Interactive Tools, Libraries, Maps, News, Patrons and Users, Public Libraries