Programs in November - and Registration?

Frequent readers of this blog understand that the special local history collection and archives unit of the Beaufort County Library provides some programs on its own as well as co-sponsors others on a one-time or recurrent basis through time. At present, the BDC is coordinating two local history series with other organizations on a regular and recurrent basis: Beaufort History Museum/Beaufort County Library local history series and the new "Historically Speaking" series with the Beaufort County Historical Society. Since August we have also held programs alone and in concert with the Beaufort Branch Library and will soon do one or more with the Pat Conroy Literary Center, Gullah Geechee Cultural Heritage Corridor Commission, Penn Center and St. Helena Branch Library. Some of our partners have reservation software; some of our partners do not; and the Beaufort District Collection does not. Thus, some of our programs request registration, some require registration and others are simply first come, first seated. In other words, be sure to read the details per each program in which you are interested.

Registration is required to attend lectures in the Beaufort History Museum/Beaufort County Library local history series. Reservations often go quite quickly. If there are any no-shows the day of the lecture, Museum ushers seat stand-by customers at 5 minutes to lecture start time. Registration for "Guns of the Big Gun Shoot" with Dave Smoot opens Thursday, October 24th on the Beaufort History Museum website http://www.beauforthistorymuseum.wildapricot.org/event-3552471.
Registration is requested to attend the Author Book Talks with Jim Alberto, co-sponsored with the Pat Conroy Literary Center. There are two sessions:

• Friday, October 25 at 2 pm at Hilton Head Branch Library, 11 Beach City Road https://daufuskiedaze1.bpt.me
• Friday, November 15 at 2 pm at Beaufort Branch Library, 311 Scott Street https://daufuskiedaze2.bpt.me

There is no reservation process at all for "Making Gullah: Reflections on Finding Gullah Folk in the American Imagination." We want everyone who is interested in Gullah culture to be able to attend this free lecture by Dr. Melissa Cooper. The BDC is happy to collaborate with the St. Helena Branch Library, Gullah Geechee Cultural Heritage Corridor Commission and Penn Center to bring this  Author Book Talk to our community as part of Penn Center's 37th Annual Heritage Days Festival. The Festival runs from November 7 - November 9, 2019. Dr. Cooper's lecture will be held at 2 pm on November 8th in the St. Helena Library's large meeting room. This lecture is a first come, first seated program.

We finish up BDC local history programs in late November with another "Historically Speaking" lecture in concert with the Beaufort County Historical Society.

"'Not Just Gossip:' Who Dwelt in Beaufort's Historic Houses?" 
with Maxine Lutz
Thursday, November 21, 2019 | 2 pm | Beaufort Branch Meeting Room

At present, the BDC has no programs scheduled for December 2019. That could change, of course, so be sure to check the Library's calendar https://www.BeaufortCountyLibrary.org/calendar for program details and updates.

We hope that you take advantage of one or more of our upcoming programs to increase your understanding and appreciation of Beaufort District's long and storied history.

Local History Programs and Archives

We had 25 people attend the Bernie Schein Author Book Talk. Folks who came got to see about 50 images from the Lucille Hasell Culp Collection of Beaufort in the 1960s in honor of "American Archives Month."

We are now up to 227 guests at our programs thus far. We hope to continue the momentum with the other programs remaining on our schedule this month.



We kick off the new "Historically Speaking" lecture series with the Beaufort County Historical Society on October 17th with Dr. Stephen Wise about Civil War era photographs of this area. There is no better authority on photographs from the Port Royal Sound region taken during that late unpleasantness. We will explain how you can see even more Civil War era photographs online or make arrangement to see even more in the Civil War related materials we care for in our Research Room.

Please note: Although the lecture begins at Noon, we will open the Meeting Room doors at 11:30 AM on a first come, first seated basis.  If or when we reach room capacity according to the Fire Marshall's limit, access to the lecture will be closed.

We concentrate on the mid-20th century and a personal account of life on Daufuskie Island at the end of October at Hilton Head Branch Library and again in mid-November at Beaufort Branch Library. A memoir is the least objective, most personal form of writing and Jim Alberto has recently penned one about living, learning and teaching on Daufuskie Island beginning in the mid-1970s. We host Alberto in concert with the Pat Conroy Literary Center.

Starting in 1974, Jim Alberto and his wife, Carol, taught school at the Mary Field Elementary School for nine years. Little did they know that Jim's meeting with Pat Conroy in 1973 would play such an important role in their careers.

Alberto was the first teacher who "stuck around" after Pat Conroy's brief tenure at the school.

The Albertos experienced Daufuskie Island life firsthand when they moved out to this South Carolina barrier island to teach the local children. From navigating weekly boat rides to the mainland for groceries to learning to avoid dangerously close encounters with local wildlife, these teachers had no idea how much they would learn from the island and the people who call it home. He spent the rest of his teaching career south of the Broad River.

Emory Campbell, a renowned Beaufort County native son, Gullah cultural historian, and former director of Penn Center, offered this review of Alberto's book:

This fascinating book tells a rare, unvarnished, important story of a committed teacher. Jim Alberto's pivotal experiences while teaching at the two-room school on Daufuskie Island with wife Carol. It is an extraordinary example of courage, caring, and perseverance. From his depiction of the Islands distinct smell in the first chapter to his deep exhale to contentment in the last chapter, Jims detailed account will enthrall readers on every page. 

Registration is free and is now open for both sessions. Guests will get to see some of the BDC's Daufuskie Island and education related treasures at these programs in honor of October's status as "American Archives Month." 

To register for the Alberto's Author Book Talk at Hilton Head Branch Library on 25 October: https://daufuskiedaze1.bpt.me
To register for Alberto's Author Book Talk at Beaufort Branch Library on 15 November: https://daufuskiedaze2.bpt.me

BDC Local History Programs in October 2019

I am delighted at the turnout for our August and September programs - 202 people - some of them new faces to me which makes me feel like we are reaching more people in the community with high quality, free local history related programs. We hope to continue that momentum with our October 2019 offerings. This month we highlight a local bromance, Civil War era photographs and the history of education on Daufuskie Island in collaboration with partners Beaufort Branch Library, Beaufort County Historical Society, Hilton Head Branch Library and the Pat Conroy Literary Center.

Please note the attendance procedures: Two of the programs are first come, first seated. Folks who want to attend Jim Alberto's talk about teaching at the Mary Fields School can pre-register for a seat at the Hilton Head session on October 25th by going to https://daufuskiedaze1.bpt.me.

Sunday's Connections was about Bernie Schein's upcoming Author Talk. We will be happy to see you at the program.

We pilot a new "Historically Speaking" lecture series with the Beaufort County Historical Society
on October 17th with what is sure to be a crowd-pleaser: Dr. Stephen Wise on the topic Civil War era photographs of this area.

Traditionally, BCHS holds its lectures on Thursdays at Noon and we're keeping to that schedule at least for now. We decided that since the fire marshal says that we can fit almost 100 people into the Beaufort Branch Meeting Room, we are going to let the lecture be open to the general public with no advance registration process. Instead, we will open the Meeting Room doors for guests at 11:30 AM. If or when we reach room capacity, access to the lecture will be closed.

As frequent readers of this blog know, the Beaufort District Collection often takes local history programs to other branch libraries and to some community groups (who ask). In concert with the Pat Conroy Literary Center we are hosting two sessions about Daufuskie Daze, Jim Alberto's memoir of his time teaching on Daufuskie Island after Pat Conroy's short tenure. The first session, October 25 at 2 pm, will be held in the Hilton Head Branch Library's Meeting Room. One can pre-register to attend the South of Broad event at https://daufuskiedaze1.bpt.me. His second session will be on November 15th in Beaufort Branch.

For the latest updates about upcoming BDC programs, be sure to check the Library's master calendar. 

Because October is American Archives Month, expect to see some of our truly "spiffy" items and record series relevant to the topic du jour during each of these programs.

Heads up: Registration for Lecture 4.2 of the Beaufort History Museum / Beaufort County Library local history series, "Guns of the Big Gun Shoot" with Dave Smoot, opens on October 24, 2019. Be sure to reserve your seat. 

Pat Conroy Remembered - Twice

Beaufort's most famous writer, Pat Conroy, is featured at the Books Sandwiched In Series on Monday, February 4, 2019 at Noon at the USC-B Center for the Performing Arts located at 805 Bay Street in Beaufort. Books Sandwiched In is the popular free series of book talks presented by the Friends of the Beaufort Library. This program features Jonathan Haupt and a panel of noted authors including Cassandra King Conroy, Sallie Ann Robinson and Bernie Schein who will discuss their memories of Conroy. 

Remembering Ann Head is set for March 27, 2019 at 5:30pm in the Beaufort Branch Meeting Room. Nancy Thode will discuss her mother's rather unconventional life and life choices, her impact on Conroy, her involvement in local political affairs, and her untimely death at age 52. Registration for this event co-sponsored by the Beaufort District Collection and the Pat Conroy Literary Center opened January 16th and will close when capacity is reached. http://bit.ly/2Ddyda6.

Registration Now Open: Remembering Ann Head

The Beaufort District Collection is doing its first cooperative program with the Pat Conroy Literary Center on March 27, 2019. Registration is now open and because seats are limited, readers of this blog are getting the news second. (I put the notice on our Facebook page first. You might want to start following our Facebook page. The address is https://www.facebook.com/BDC.BCL/ )

Writer Ann Head was Pat Conroy's first creative writing teacher at Beaufort High School and oh my, the impact she made on him! Learn about Head's unconventional life and how she affected Conroy through personal mementos, unpublished letters, literary excerpts and family stories shared by her daughter, Nancy Thode. 

Both writers found a muse in their adopted hometown of Beaufort, and here in lowcountry, Ann Head's story will finally be told.
 
Space is limited. Don't delay, register today before all the seats get taken: http://bit.ly/2Ddyda6