Free Genealogy Workshop in Hampton on July 28th

Genealogy can easily cross county borders - particularly since Beaufort District was the mother of current day Beaufort, Hampton and Jasper Counties.  The Hampton County Genealogy Society is offering a free workshop on July 28th.  Online flyer.  Contact the HCGS at 803-943-5484 if you have questions. 

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.

Obituaries in South Carolina

Interested in finding obituaries in other parts of South Carolina but don't know where to start? 

Use the "South Carolina Obituary Resources" page on the State Library's website to explore your options.   Dennis Adams, former Information Services Coordinator (retired), Debbie Bloom (Richland County Public Library) and I designed the project over lunch at a SC Library Association conference back in 2007.  The South Carolina State Library very generously agreed to host the site for us on behalf of the citizens of South Carolina.  While the obituaries are not posted online, the site tells you how to get obituaries in most of the state's counties.

The direct link is http://www.statelibrary.sc.gov/south-carolina-obituary-resources.

Time Is Running Out on Summer Reading Program

Have you done your summer reading yet?  There's still time to participate.   Printed book, electronic book, audio book:  whatever format suits you suits us for the purpose of being a participant.  Non-fiction, fiction, a bosom-busting novel, or urban lit:  we don't care what you read, just that you read something you'd like to read.  Libraries are all about letting our customers select their own materials.  Just get those reviews in by July 21st to be registered for the prize drawing!

If you are interested in learning more about our local history, check out these titles from our Local History sections:  

Tombee: Portrait of a Cotton Planter by Ted Rosengarten;  
Great Sea Island Storm of 1893 by Bill and Fran Marscher;
Wicked Beaufort by Alexia Helsley;  
William Elliott's Carolina Sports;  
Coffin Point: The Strange Cases of Ed McTeer, Witchdoctor Sheriff  by Baynard Woods; and
Jackpot by Jason Ryan. 

Reminder:  The Research Room will be closing for lunch from Mon., July 23rd - Mon., August 13th due to staff shortage.  Please make your plans to take a mid-day break when BDC staff does.

New Classes - Introduction to the 1940 Census

To help illuminate the ways and means of census taking, and how to put a census to the test of extracting information about an ancestor (or yourself, if you happen to be older than 72 years old), the BDC is going on the road in August.  We will be offering two "Introduction to the 1940 Census Workshop" sessions in the BCL system's Branch Libraries.  

Don't delay.  Classes fill up quickly.  Registration will close as soon as we reach our limit per location.       

Wed., August 15th: The Introduction to the 1940 Census Workshop will be held at the St. Helena Branch Library, 1025 Sea Island Parkway, from 4:00 - 6:00 pm. Registration is required as seating is very limited for this workshop. 

 To register for the STH Branch Library session:  E-mail mbenac@bcgov.net; Call 255-6486; or Sign up in person at the STH Branch Library desk.  

Wed., August 29th: The Introduction to the 1940 Census Workshop will be held at the Bluffton Branch Library, 120 Palmetto Way, from 2:30 - 3:30 pm. Registration is required as seating is very limited for this workshop.

To register for the BLU Branch Library session:  E-mail fdenton@bcgov.net; Call 255-6503; or Sign up in person at the BLU Branch Library Reference desk.  

 

Upcoming Schedule Change at Lunchtime

Because of a known upcoming BDC staff shortage, the Research Room will be closed from Noon until 1 pm from Mon., July 23rd - Mon., August 13th.  We're giving you a heads-up now so you can prepare for the change.

Come visit the Research Room 10 am until Noon; go grab a bite to eat and clear your brain; then return at 1pm and you can stay hard at work until 5 pm - if you so choose.

Status of 1940 US Census Indexing

Ancestry Library Edition has completed and posted an index to 1940 Census taken in six more states.  You can now search for people by name in the following states: Colorado, Delaware, Washington, D.C., Maine, Nevada, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Vermont, and Virginia.  Access to ALE is available through any public access computer at our branch libraries. 

Ancestry.com has promised to keep access to its indexed 1940 Census records free to the general public until 2013.    

Family Search has indexed a total of 32 states - including Alaska and Hawaii -- which became states in 19 years after the 1940 census. The orange colored states have online searchable indexes.   Other states, such as South Carolina, are still being indexed.   

If you'd like to know more about how to use the 1940 census, register for one of our BDC@ The Branches August classes at either St. Helena Branch Library (Aug. 15th) or Bluffton Branch Library (Aug. 29th). Only a few slots are available.  Sign up today.

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.   

Reminder: Scheduled Closing on the 4th

All units of the Beaufort County Library will be closed on Wed., July 4th.  Regular hours resume Thurs., July 5th.  Enjoy the fireworks!

Summer Reading for Adults Continues

It's not too late to register and participate in the Adult Summer Reading program!  All it takes is one review of a book you read or heard on an MP3 player, CD player, or even on old-fashioned cassette tapes to be registered for the ending prize. Program ends July 21st.

Here are a few titles in our local history sections that you might want to consider:  Tombee: Portrait of a Cotton Planter by Ted Rosengarten; Great Sea Island Storm of 1893 by Bill and Fran Marscher; Wicked Beaufort by Alexia Helsley; William Elliott's Carolina Sports; Coffin Point: The Strange Cases of Ed McTeer, Witchdoctor Sheriff  by Baynard Woods; and Jackpot by Jason Ryan. 

Check the SRP calendar for events you (or your children and teens) might like to attend.