South Caroliniana Library

Introduction

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South Caroliniana Library, constructed in 1840 and located on USC's historic Horseshoe, is the nation's oldest freestanding academic library and one of the premier research archives and special collections repositories in the state and Southeast. Its collections include rare diaries, maps, books, pamphlets, and newspapers; records of churches, plantations, and businesses; early photographs, postcards, and engravings; oral histories that document our state's business, educational, social and cultural past.


Images

  • South Caroliniana Library, constructed in 1840, the nation's oldest freestanding academic library
    South Caroliniana Library, constructed in 1840, the nation's oldest freestanding academic library
  • Reading Room at South Caroliniana Library, a replica of that which housed Thomas Jefferson’s library at the second Library of Congress
    Reading Room at South Caroliniana Library, a replica of that which housed Thomas Jefferson’s library at the second Library of Congress
  • The library has served researchers from around the world since its establishment in 1840. This photo shows the South Caroliniana Library Reading Room in 1899.
    The library has served researchers from around the world since its establishment in 1840. This photo shows the South Caroliniana Library Reading Room in 1899.

Sources

History of the South Carolina Library. Official Website of the South Carolina Library. Accessed April 26, 2017. http://library.sc.edu/p/Collections/SCL.

Additional Information