Rowan Public Library's History Room collects those materials from Rowan County that are - or will be- important source documents for future historians, genealogists or other researchers who are interested in understanding how their predecessors in Rowan County lived. High school annuals from the county, church and club newsletters, city directories, local organizations' minutes and scrapbooks, family letters, diaries, and other publications are all collected with the understanding that history is written from this sort of evidence.
Some local history items such as school yearbooks, city directories, and town regulations receive library call numbers and are shelved with other book materials. A majority of local history materials are never published in any form. These items, including club minutes and scrapbooks, family letters, and research notes, come in the form of manuscript collections.