The BDC exists to acquire, preserve, maintain and make accessible a research collection of permanent value which records the history, culture, and environment of the South Carolina lowcountry wedged between the Combahee and Savannah Rivers. We are stewards who collect, protect and share unique historical materials about local history, Gullah culture, the natural southeastern coastal environment, family history and archaeology in the area now covered by Beaufort County, Hampton County and Jasper County.
I will hereby argue that: The BDC checks all the boxes necessary to serve as good repository for a local organization's inactive records - just in case you are part of a local organization that might be looking for a repository.
- An archival repository is a place where professional archivists and curators care for and preserve historically significant documents.
I have a BA in History, ML and SL degrees in librarianship, and am a certified archivist - and more than 25 years' experience dealing with and sharing Beaufort District's long and storied history with others.
The BDC's Library Specialist, Cassandra Knoppel, has a dual undergraduate degree in Historic Preservation and Art History. She is currently going to Library School at USC concentrating on the Archives track. She's gaining technical skills and library and archival experience each and every day.
The Library Assistant we hope to hire soon will ideally have a working knowledge of local history; be able to show others the rudiments of historical and genealogical research; file materials according to library and archival standards; demonstrate good customer services skills; possess an aptitude for learning library and archival processes, philosophy, and practices; compile unit statistics; and provide local history programs support as needed, and be a good fit for our little team.
- Archival repositories are frequently found in historical societies, academic institutions, or public libraries whose mission it is to ensure the protection and accessibility of the materials they house.
Our repository happens to be in the Beaufort County Library. Good stewardship of the materials we house in the BDC Research Room is - and always has been - Priority #1 for me. We've been stewards a long time. I'd even go so far as to argue that the Beaufort County Library is the oldest continually operating educational public entity in the three counties - if you take into consideration our origins in the Beaufort Township Library and its predecessor Clover Club library that began in 1892.
- An archives can provide environmentally secure storage for inactive records.
BDC has special equipment to maintain archival standards for temperature, humidity and light levels to extend the life of paper records for at least the next 100 years. The roof has hurricane straps reinforced to survive winds up to 150 mph. We have hurricane shutters to protect our office areas and the interior library/archives stacks. Only BDC staff and vetted docents enter the restricted stacks storage area. (I underlined "inactive records" because we are not in the business of storing current records for organizations, businesses, or agencies.)
- More important, a repository can provide research access to the information in the records, both to members of your organization and to the public, as well as safeguard the records by monitoring their handling and use.
BDC staff have demonstrated thousands of times through the years that our reference collection and research advice is thorough and delivered at the highest level we can given our limited personnel levels and financial resources. We always share information about the resources we may have inside the Research Room to assist customers both internal and external. Customers in the Research Room must register. No one can use the materials in the BDC Research Room without BDC staff being available to provide reference assistance and monitor the use of the records.
- By placing records in an archival repository, you take an important step toward preserving them and the memories that they contain.
How to Donate An Organization's Records
Like most archival institutions, the BDC is looking for organization records with long-term value. Documents that best illustrate an organization's mission, policies, and activities are of the highest interest. We seek related groups of materials more often than just individual items - though we sometimes take the individual items for the archives. We desire inactive records rather than records that an organization needs to conduct routine business. As a rule of thumb, we prefer records at least 5 years old or older. Records of defunct organizations can be of particular interest. For example, the BDC holds Beaufort Little Theatre records donated by its final president in 2007.
If the organization:
A) has inactive records that fall within the BDC's collection development policy and
B) the organization seems open to finding a permanent home for those inactive records,
C) I offer to discuss what the BDC collects and why, and how the donation process works.
For sake of discussion, let's say that an organization decides to donate its inactive records to the BDC for permanent care. Now the ball is in the BDC's court. The speed at which the following steps occur is ultimately dependent on staff skill sets and competing commitments (particularly direct customer service, the local history series we coordinate, digital projects, and Library initiatives.)
- We mutually agree on the transfer date.
- We sign the deed of gift conveying ownership of and responsibility for the donated materials to the Beaufort County Library, the BDC's parent organization, in perpetuity.
- Upon receipt of the materials by BDC staff, an accession record is created.
- The newly acquired archival collection is assessed for processing priority. A variety of criteria weigh into this consideration: topics contained; potential for customer use; completeness; variety of formats included; physical size of collection; how many preservation activities and supplies will be required, etc.
- BDC staff work on preserving, arranging, and describing the materials.
- BDC staff prepare a written Finding Aid for the Research Room.
- The collection is opened to researchers.
In a very few instances, an archival collection housed in the BDC is prepared for inclusion in the Lowcountry Digital Library. I never ever promise that an archival collection will be digitized in full when an organization inquires about donating its records. We simply do not have the resources to fulfill such a promise at this time. I always do my utmost to be a woman of my word.
The Society of American Archivists has two documents posted online that may prove helpful to you:
In the meantime: Please, please do not just drop off your "stuff" in a BCL book return box or at one of the other Library unit's service desk and hope the items make their way to the BDC. Like many things in life, first there's some paperwork.... Provenance and deeds of gift are really, really important for archives integrity.
If you'd like to discuss donating an organization's records or your personal or family records to the Library's special local history collection and archives unit, reach out to us: bdc@bcgov.net or 843-255-6468.
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