South Carolina: Oldest Freestanding College Library in U.S. Packs Up Treasures During Renovation

From the AP (via Anderson Independent Mail)

One of the nation’s oldest university libraries is moving its millions of documents, mementoes and art works to other sites so South Carolina’s treasures may be protected from fire and the ravages of time.
Library Director Henry Fulmer says the refurbishment of the South Caroliniana (Kahr-uh-LIN-ee-AN-uh) Library may take several years.
In the meantime, staff and librarians are trying to make sure the state’s citizens and scholars have access to its vast collections.
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Fulmer said the library holds “a very significant collection” of maps drawn prior to the 1500s, which were collected and donated by a South Carolina textile family. Other visual materials include photographs, postcards, engravings, lithographs, and hundreds of portraits. The library also houses architectural drawings of the state’s towns and cities, as well as original artworks that include sculptures, posters and landscapes.
A firm that specializes in moving archives and libraries is helping package, crate and move the collections. They are being shifting to several different locations at the University of South Carolina, including the university’s main Thomas Cooper Library on the Columbia campus.
The library closed in mid-February for the packing, and its reading room will reopen in March.

Read the Complete Article, Learn More About the Collection
Visit the Library’s Web Site and Learn More About the History of  South Caroliniana Library
Read an FAQ About the Mov (via U. of South Carolina Libraries)

Filed under: Archives and Special Collections, Libraries, Maps, News