We're Closing the Research Room Early Tomorrow but ...

The Research Room will be open 10 am until 4 pm on Thursday, October 4th.  Regular hours resume on Friday, October 5th.

Here's a suggestion for you to consider:  The BDC might be closed an hour earlier than usual because of staffing shortage, but Beaufort Branch Library will be open.  You could spend the 4-5 pm hour downstairs in the Beaufort Branch Library browsing, using the public access computers, or checking out a Banned Book or two you'd like to read!

If you are looking for a thoughtful documentary, stay for Afghan Star  being shown at 6 pm.  (Parking is free after 6 pm).  Afghan Star is a look at how contestants on the musical contest program "Pop Idol" in Afghanistan risk their lives to appear on the show.  The movie showing is an activity within the system's One County Reads One Country: Afghanistan project.

How thankful we should be that in our country we have the "Freedom to Read" whatever we like. 

Beaufort Branch Library is open 1 pm - 8 pm on Thursdays.  

1C1C: Child Labor - Bluffton Branch Today

"Child Labor in Beaufort District"
Presented by Grace Morris Cordial, BDC Manager
BDC@ Bluffton Branch, 120 Palmetto Way
Thurs., Sept. 13th
2:00 pm - 3:00 pm
Big Community Room

BDC Program This Thursday

Made Possible by LSTA

  

For the full list of programs and events related to our project, visit the Library's web page dedicated to the events and programs of this major undertaking of the Beaufort County Library system found at  http://www.beaufortcountylibrary.org/OCROC.  

"One County Reads One Country: Afghanistan" has been made possible through a Library Services and Technology Act grant awarded to the Beaufort County Library and administered by the South Carolina State Library. 

Child Labor Lecture and Slide Show Aug. 23rd

Image courtesy of the Library of Congress

This is Bertha.  She is 6 years old.  She was an oyster shucker in the Maggioni Canning factory on Lady's Island circa 1912.  She began work each morning at 4 o'clock.  

Lewis Hine took this photograph and the photographs of many child laborers throughout the United States in the 1900s -1920s.  The power of his images resulted in changes in the law affecting the employment of children in manufacturing, canneries and agriculture.  

Yet, child labor remains an issue today in many parts of the world - and it is a theme within the One County Reads One Country: Afghanistan project selection In The Sea There Are Crocodiles.

               

Come learn about local child laborers during the free

"History of Child Labor in Beaufort District"

Presentation by Grace Cordial, BDC Manager
Thurs., Aug. 23rd
6:00 - 7:00 pm
2nd Floor, 311 Scott Street
(Upstairs in the Library building).

Anyone over age 12 interested in this local history topic is encouraged to attend.  

* "One County Reads One Country: Afghanistan" has been made possible through a Library Services and Technology Act grant awarded to the Beaufort County Library and administered by the South Carolina State Library.

August BDC@ The Branches Programs

Join us!

We'd love to see you, particularly if you are over age 12, and enjoy history, culture, our local environment, genealogy, archaeology and/or libraries and archives.

The programs are free.

 The 1940 Census related workshops require pre-registration as space is extremely limited - and may be gone by the time this entry posts!  Contact information for each "Introduction to the 1940 Census Workshop" session is provided in the flyer illustrating this entry.

* "One County Reads One Country: Afghanistan" has been made possible through a Library Services and Technology Act grant awarded to the Beaufort County Library and administered by the South Carolina State Library.

Reminder:  The Research Room is currently closed for lunch through Monday, August 13th.

1940 Census Workshops Aug. 15th and Aug. 29th

Register today - if the classes aren't already full!  The St. Helena Branch Staff and the Bluffton Branch Staff can tell you whether or not there's still room at their respective Introduction to the 1940 Census Workshop sessions.

Reminder:  The Research Room is closed Noon until 1 pm for Charmaine to get her lunch through August 13th.

* "One County Reads One Country: Afghanistan" has been made possible through a Library Services and Technology Act grant awarded to the Beaufort County Library and administered by the South Carolina State Library.

BDC Contributions to "1 County Reads 1 Country: Afghanistan" Project

The BDC is contributing to the "One County Reads One Country: Afghanistan" project in several ways.

One hundred years ago, Progressives advocated for restrictions on the use of young children in industries and commercial ventures.  Some changes were legislated yet child labor remains a contemporary issue in many countries today.  Because child labor is a theme within the Young Adult selection, In the Sea There are Crocodiles, we decided to explore the history of child labor here in the Beaufort District.  Come learn about local industries that used children as a significant portion of their labor force well into the 1930s.  Expect to see some rather shocking images of labor conditions in northern Beaufort County, Port Royal, and Bluffton.

The first presentation will occur just outside the BDC Research Room door on Thursday evening, August 23rd.  Three weeks later, we'll do the same presentation in Bluffton Branch during the afternoon. 
 
Tea and the ceremonies around drinking tea cross cultures.  The displays will reinforce the significance of the beverage across history and cultures throughout the world.

Be sure to pick up a booklet of the activities at the branch library closest to you.  Check out the program schedule on our Library website.  Please join us for one (or many more) of the offerings.  We'd love to see you!

* "One County Reads One Country: Afghanistan" has been made possible through a Library Services and Technology Act grant awarded to the Beaufort County Library and administered by the South Carolina State Library.

Reminder:  The Research Room will be closed Noon to 1 pm through Mon., August 13th.

Major Library System Project Unfolds Soon

This is a system-wide exploration of Afghanistan, its peoples, culture, and its relationship with the United States and other countries.  Three books were chosen by the Programming Team as keystones to our discussions and events (for all ages) relating to this mesmerizing country and culture:

• Gayle Lemmon, The Dressmaker of Khair Khana (Adult Readers)
  
• Fabio Geda, In the Sea There Are Crocodiles (Young Adult and Adult Readers)
  
• Tony O'Brien, Afghan Dreams: Young Voices of Afghanistan (Children)
  

Although the scope and mission of the BDC doesn't usually include connections to mid-eastern cultures, we are a unit of the Library system.  Therefore, the Beaufort District Collection is contributing to this system-wide effort in several ways:

1. We are promoting the project through BDC social media.
2. We are designing and installing "History of Tea in Human Culture" displays for four of the branch libraries during September.  Library staff are sharing some of their personal tea paraphernalia in these displays.  
3. Child labor is a theme of In the Sea There are Crocodiles.  The BDC@ The Branches series includes a presentation about "Child Labor in Beaufort District" at two of our branch libraries.  Attend to learn more about local industries that used children as a significant part of their labor forces well into the 1930s.  The BDC@ The BDC session is set for Aug. 23rd; a reprise will be held in Bluffton Branch on Sept. 13th.

Details forthcoming via the Library's homepage about the myriad program opportunities in this project. "One County Reads One Country" has been made possible through a Library Services and Technology Act grant awarded to the Beaufort County Library and administered by the South Carolina State Library. 

Reminder: The BDC Research Room will be closed during lunchtime (Noon to 1 pm) starting Mon., July 23rd - Mon., Aug. 13th.

Got a Little Time to Spare? Volunteer for a Focus Group.

Volunteers are still needed for the Focus Groups preceding the launch of the Library's "One County Reads One Country" project.

You can help us measure the impact of this grant funded project by sharing what you already know about Afghanistan as part of the pre-survey.  Your knowledge can range from neophyte to expert.  We won't be "testing" you or assigning grades.  We just need a baseline to begin the evaluation portion of the project.

At the conclusion of the project in October, we'd like to be able to compare pre-project knowledge and understanding of Afghani culture, history, and current events with your post-project knowledge of understanding of Afghani culture, history, and current events. We need your help to do so. 

Please step up and volunteer to help Beaufort County Library continue to provide relevant, thought-provoking, and timely programming for all our residents.   

Volunteers Needed

We believe that the Beaufort County Library makes a difference in our community.  Your input can help us provide evidence that our activities do indeed make a positive difference in the quality of life here in Beaufort County.

In order to establish a baseline for our upcoming community project, we are looking for volunteers to share what they already know about the country of Afghanistan.  If you'd like to help us, please register to volunteer for a Focus Group.

There are three opportunities to assist us with this phase of the "One County Reads One Country" project:  Thurs., July 19th at St. Helena Branch; Tues., July 24th at Bluffton Branch; and Thurs., July 26th at Beaufort Branch. All Focus Group sessions will begin at 6 pm.

Contact Assistant Library Director,  Jan O'Rourke at 255-6464 or jorourke@bcgov.net by July 18th to volunteer.