American Archives Month

As I wrote a few posts ago, October is American Archives Month - so guests at our October programs will get to see some spiffy examples of the types of records we hold in trust for the community. The formats of historical records vary through time as this image indicates.

At present we have more than 160 archival collections ranging in size from one item to the massive Lucille Hasell Culp Collection with 10,000s of items. Since 2017 we have been working hard to get better intellectual control over our holdings by arranging and describing the materials to create Finding Aids, and by promoting use of the processed collections via social media, selecting some to be digitized for inclusion in the Lowcountry Digital Library, and by making presentations based on our archives for the public. If you've attended one of my talks about Hurricanes, or child labor, or how to say place names incorrectly properly, then you've seen talks based on the Library's special collections and archival holdings.

If you attend the Author Book Talk about Bernie Schein's long friendship with Pat Conroy at 2 pm today, you'll get to see some vintage images of what Beaufort used to look like in the 1960s from our Lucille Hasell Culp Collection.

Pat Conroy: Our Lifelong Friendship by Bernie Schein | BDC Author Talk | Tuesday, October 1 | BDC@ Beaufort Branch Meeting Room, 311 Scott Street | 2 PM

If you attend the new "Historically Speaking" lecture series you'll get to see and learn about the Library's stereoscope collections and other Civil War related materials.

"Civil War Views of Beaufort" by Dr. Stephen R. Wise | New Beaufort County Historical Society / Beaufort District Collection "Historically Speaking" series | Thursday, October 17 | BDC@ Beaufort Branch Meeting Room, 311 Scott Street | 12 PM

At the end of the month when you attend the Author Book Talk about education on Daufuskie Island, you'll get to see selections from our "Daufuskie Disadvantaged Project" archival collection.

Daufuskie Daze: Living, Learning, and Teaching on a South Carolina Sea Island by Jim Alberto | BDC Author Talk with the cooperation of the Pat Conroy Literary Center | Friday, October 25 | BDC@ Hilton Head Branch Meeting Room, 11 Beach City Road | 2 PM

If you'd like to come in and get a Behind-the-Scenes tour of our Research Room, give us a call 843-255-6468 or send us an e-mail bdc@bcgov.net to make the necessary advance arrangements.

Reminder: The Library is closed Wednesday, October 2, 2019 for Staff Work Day.