Transforming the Tar Heel State: The Legacy of Public Libraries in North Carolina contains many historical photographs of individuals, including women and children, using or working in various public libraries across the state.
http://statelibrary.ncdcr.gov/digital/publiclibraries/index.html
http://digital.ncdcr.gov/cdm/search/searchterm/transforming%20the%20tar%20heel%20state/order/nosort